I Won't Forget You – Story
by AliceAtHeart
Summary: Jared and Paul were close before the first phase, some would say… too close. They tried to deny it – tried to pretend that those nights they spent tangled up in each other didn't exist. The tribe wouldn't accept it… hell, Paul couldn't accept it. Just when feelings begin to bloom, Jared leaves, snatched away by Sam Uley... read first chapter for longer intro. Paul/Jared
1. Author's Note

**I Won't Forget You – Story**

 **Summary**

Jared and Paul were close before the first phase, some would say… too close. They tried to deny it – tried to pretend that those nights they spent tangled up in each other didn't exist. The tribe wouldn't accept it… hell, Paul couldn't accept it. Just when feelings begin to bloom, Jared leaves, snatched away by Sam Uley. When Paul finally phases it makes sense, and things could go back to normal… right? Just when he thought he had it all figured out, in walked Kim. A Paul/Jared story. Jared/Kim imprint.

 **General**

Before I get into this fic, I just wanted to go over a few things. The first of which will be that you will see slash nowhere on my story or the oneshot that inspired it (on my profile if you're interested). The reason being, that putting slash in a fic like this almost feel derogatory, like it's taking away from the actual message and meaning I'm going for. I think using the term slash is fine when it's just pure smut, but this is going to be a fic about actual feelings, and love, and the challenges that not only gay people, but gay POC have to face and deal with. Now, I am not a male, I am not gay, and I don't identify as a person of color, but I will very much try my best to do them justice.

This will be an angsty fic for the reasons mentioned above. Now, I'm not one that likes unhappy endings. I never have. I think that there is enough heartache in real life to have to live through it virtually. That being said, this will have a happy ending. Sorry if that spoiled anything for anyone, but I just wanted to throw out there that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.

I hadn't planned on writing this fic when I wrote the oneshot. Not to get too personal, but I deal with a lot of depression, and it tends to cause me to go on hiatus for long periods of time, but writing the oneshot that inspired this just made _want_ to give them a full story. Like, they are my children now, and they must be happy.

 **Warnings**

This is a fic about two boys/men that will be struggling with their sexuality and the way that the people in their small community perceive it. It will not always be pretty, so be aware that there might be some triggers within.

Graphic content and swearing. They're teenage boys, they're gonna swear. I try to keep all sexual scenes tasteful, but some characters have minds of their own!

As I said, I am not a man. I try very hard to write male characters true to the 'masculine' ideal, but it's hard to always keep them strictly masculine. There will be a lot of toxic thoughts and speech regarding typical masculinity as they try and deal with their sexuality.

Angst. As I've said, there will be a fair amount of angst, so please don't leave me angry comments! I am a big advocate for gay rights, but not everyone in this story will be. Be as angry as you want at the characters – if you are, that means I did my job right, but please don't PM me thinking that I mean anything negative that comes out of it!

 **Disclaimer**

Obviously, I don't own anything that you recognize.

M rated for a reason!

You don't have to read the oneshot that inspired this if you haven't already. The scene will probably be in this story, but if you want a little spoiler, then feel free to!


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

 _One More Shot_

* * *

Paul laughed as he lounged on Jared's bed, his head rolling back in his drunken stupor. Luckily for the two teenage boys, Mrs. Cameron had to work the late shift at the La Push Medical Center, which meant that they were free to have a party of two. They didn't do this often, as Jared's mother would no doubt notice the drop in alcohol level if they did. She had warned them both about the dangers of alcohol poisoning more times than Paul could count, but of course, that didn't really stop them.

"Dude, you fucking suck." Paul snickered as he snatched the controller from Jared's hand, his head spinning with the sudden movement. "And don't even blame the gin – you sucked before." Paul gave him a crooked grin.

"Fuck you, Lahote." Jared spat, but there was no real bite behind his words.

Jared and Paul had been friends since they were in diapers. They were only three months apart, and their mothers had been friends since high school. Growing up with Jared was the only thing that made Paul's life less shitty. His old man liked to get wasted and beat on him, and Jared's wasn't much better. Luckily for the boys, Paul's dad put a shotgun in his mouth, and Jared's had run off with some blonde stewardess. Mrs. Cameron – or Mama Jackie as she insisted Paul called her – did her best to house both boys. Paul's mom wasn't as attentive as Jackie was. In fact, it had been weeks since she had even been in La Push. It used to bum Paul out when he was younger, but now it was just a fact of life.

"I'm pouring another shot." Jared declared as Paul selected a character from the screen. Although, at this point, they all looked like little blurs. "I thought you had a date with that girl from Port Angeles tonight."

Paul shrugged, his eyes leaving the screen to take the shot offered to him. "Brittany? Nah, I kicked her to the curb last week."

Jared snorted and shook his head. "I don't get you, man. You have beautiful girls practically throwing themselves at you and you just brush them off. I can't even get a girl to smile at me unless she's trying to get your number."

Paul's head lulled to the side to look at his best friend, game forgotten. "It's not enough, dude. It's like… yeah, they're hot and everything, but something just doesn't… click."

"When did you turn into such a woman?" Jared laughed, even when Paul threw the remnants of a pizza crust at his face. "But seriously, man. If you're not feeling it, you're not feeling it. Maybe you're not as much of a playboy as you t-think? Thought? Thunked?" Jared's drunken slur dissolved into a fit of deep chuckles as Paul joined in.

Paul couldn't help but notice the way the corners of Jared's eyes crinkled as he laughed – a trait he had always admired. Even when Paul laughed, it never felt as carefree as Jared made it look. _Shit_. Maybe he _was_ turning into a chick. "You're fuckin' trashed." But even as he spoke, Paul's words slurred, laughing again as Jared's bubbled on. Something about the younger man's laugh was just… contagious.

They seemed to fall towards the middle of the bed at the same time, practically rolling on top of each other as they tried fruitlessly to combat their laughter which was now bordering on giggling. "Whoa." Paul jumped back as his arm brushed against Jared's "You're hot." He frowned. Sure, his own body was running a bit hotter thanks to the gin, but Jared felt like he had been standing in the middle of a furnace.

"Thanks, Paul, but I'm not really into guys." Jared smiled, his eyebrows wiggling up and down – not at all in a concise manner he had intended. They looked more like fuzzy caterpillars trying to squirm their way across his face.

"Shut the fuck up, Cameron, you know what I meant." Paul scoffed, punching his friend lightly on the arm. "Besides, men, women, doesn't matter. They're all helpless against my charms." Paul gave Jared a lazy smile, which caused the younger man to bark out a laugh.

"No one can be _that_ full of themselves." Jared rolled his eyes. "I don't care if you had the body of Victoria's Secret model. I ain't biting."

"Wanna bet?" Paul wasn't sure where he was going with this. Maybe it was because his skills had been called into question. Maybe it was the gin. Then again, maybe it was due in part to the fact that his eyes tended to linger on Jared far more often than he would have liked to admit. Sure, they made bets all the time, but this wasn't exactly typical.

"I'm so sure, man. I would bet my fucking college fund." Jared's chin rose in defiance.

"Not like you'll need it, you idiot." Paul bit back. When Jared lunged for him, Paul caught him by the wrist, pulling his friend forward until their lips connected.

A part of him – the sober part that was drowned out by gin and the racing of his own heart went crazy in the back of his mind. This was his best friend – his best _male_ friend. What was he doing? If he stopped now, he could play it off as a joke – part of their bet… But any ideas Paul had of stopping were thrown out the window as Jared's body went lax, his lips moving quickly against Paul's. Something stirred in Paul as his large hands moved to Jared's face. Something so familiar and yet… so much more than anything he had ever experienced. He expected Jared to pull back at any moment – to call Paul a fag and kick him out of his house, but instead, his hands slipped under Paul's shirt, his long fingers moving over the heated skin of his back.

"Told you." Paul breathed between hot open-mouthed kisses as he trailed his way to Jared's neck, biting the taunt flesh there and being rewarded with a hiss.

"This doesn't prove anything, Lahote." Jared nearly _growled_ as he tugged on the hem of Paul's shirt. Getting the hint, Paul moved back so that Jared could help him with his shirt before shedding his own. They didn't pause as their bodies pressed together again. Pausing would mean thinking, and thinking would mean stopping. They were drunk, after all. It didn't mean they were gay.

Jared tried to press into Paul so he would lay back, but there was no way Paul was going to let Jared take control of this situation. In what should have been a fluid motion, but in truth was a drunken scramble, he flipped them so that Jared's back was pressed into the mattress. Before Jared could protest, Paul's hips jerked forward, rubbing their obvious erections together and causing both boys to moan deeply. Their kiss was more urgent this time, their fingers rougher as the sounds of the video game's home screen drowned out their heavy breathing. With women, Paul knew what he was doing. But this… this was new territory and if it weren't for the alcohol that blurred his inhibitions, he probably wouldn't have had the courage to come this far.

Paul hissed a curse as Jared's hands dipped into his jeans, finding him in an instant. Why was Jared so good at this? There was no hesitation in his movements at all. Still… there was something to be said for the touch of a man. All the women Paul had been with had been shy and tentative with his dick – like they were afraid it would fall off. The way Jared stroked him with practiced ease had Paul's head falling to his shoulder. "Shit, Jare…" Paul groaned, bucking into Jared's hand.

His own shaky fingers worked over the button of Jared's pants, trying three times before getting it to come undone. "You got any lube?" His voice was husky with need – probably more need than he had ever felt before.

Rolling to his side, Jared reached into the nightstand to retrieve several items as Paul's teeth nipped at his neck. "This better not be for me." Jared frowned as he looked over his shoulder to Paul, causing the other man to pause. "I'm not taking it up the ass, Paul!"

"Little louder, dude!" Paul hissed as he snatched the bottle from his hand. "I'm sure as hell not gonna be a fucking bottom here." He bit back, his face twisting in distaste. "Besides, you've had sex, what, three times? You'd blow your load in seconds." He reasoned. He could see Jared's frown deepen and knew if he didn't lighten up, this would end before it started. And much to Paul's surprise, he didn't want this to end. "I'll go slow…" He promised as teeth worked over Jared's ear. To ease some of the tension, Paul's hand found Jared's dick, still hard as a rock. It was an odd sensation – stroking a dick that wasn't his own. Surly the mechanics were still the same, it was just the angle that changed. "I'll make it feel good, Jare. I promise I'll make you feel so good…"

Jared's lids fluttered closed as Paul's hand continued to work over him. "Shit, Paul…" Jared groaned and Paul knew he had won. His movements were sluggish thanks to the alcohol, but that was probably a good thing. It felt like any sudden movements would burst the bubble they had created.

Jared didn't fight as Paul rolled him onto his stomach, licking his way down the younger boy's spine before biting down on one rounded ass cheek. Paul chuckled lightly as Jared let out a yelp, but lifted his hips as Paul guided them upward. Paul had never been with another guy before, but he was good with his tongue, and a hole was a hole after all. He slid Jared's pants down to his knees, moving out of the way as they were kicked to the side. Paul's pants joined them quickly before his mouth was back on Jared's body. He could see the way Jared stroked himself slowly, the tip of his thick cock leaking a trail of precum down to the sheets that probably should have been changed a long time ago.

"Don't get off too soon." Paul warned. Any protest Jared was going to voice dissolved into a startled yelp as Paul's tongue found his puckered hole. Paul fought the urge to stroke his own dick as Jared's breathy moans filled the room. Popping the top on the lube, Paul coating his fingers as his mouth worked downward to give Jared's balls the same attention. That was another perk of being with a guy. It wasn't nearly as messy, and Paul knew his way around the anatomy.

He took his time stretching Jared with one finger, and then two, wincing as the smaller man yelped in surprise. Paul wasn't really sure what he was doing, but his last girlfriend had made him do this before she would do anal, so he assumed the same rules applied. Always lube, always go slow.

"For fuck's sake, Paul." Jared groaned as the three fingers inside of him slowed. "Would you just fuck me already?"

Paul licked his lips slowly, pretending that his best friend's words didn't make his cock bounce with need. He only hoped that after that jab at Jared's expense, he didn't blow his load too soon.

Withdrawing his fingers, he lubed himself up before lining himself up with Jared's tight ass. "Relax, man…" Paul cooed as he ran a hand down Jared's spine. Thanks to his ex, Paul knew that if he didn't, this wouldn't be good for either of them.

"Easy for you to say, you're not about to get a dick shoved up your ass." Jared quipped. Despite himself, Paul smirked as he pushed forward slowly. Maybe he would find a way to make it up to Jared. His mind played around with images of them doing this again, but he knew that this was a one-time deal. After all, in a few hours, they would sober up, and have to deal with the aftermath.

All thoughts of the future left Paul as he slowly sunk into his best friend. It took everything in him not to just plow into the tight warmth that was Jared. The way Jared's body tensed told Paul that would be a _very_ bad idea. Instead, he reached around the slighter boy and palmed his dick. "You're so fucking tight, Jare." Paul breathed into his ear.

Jared's moan was the only response Paul got as his dick twitched. He wanted to move so badly, it nearly hurt. Instead, he focused on making Jared feel good. His hand tightened around him, his wrist twisting with every downward stroke. He was rewarded after a few minutes with Jared pressing back against him. His teeth worked over the flushed copper skin that covered Jared's shoulder as he pressed forward, slowly at first but then picking up the pace. Paul's eyes closed tightly as the alcoholic haze of his brain joined the haze of sex. It felt like the room was spinning – like if he didn't cum soon, he might just sob. Beneath him, Jared twitched and buried his face in his favorite pillow. Paul's was conscious of his grip on the younger man's dick as Jared's knuckles began to turn white.

"Shit – Paul… I'm gonna…" A throaty moan took the place of whatever he was going to say next.

"Me too, Jare… So close…" He groaned into Jared's ear as the arm holding him up began to shake.

After a few more thrusts, Jared came undone, his hot cum covering both Paul's hand and the sheet under them. The tightening of Jared's body was so intense, Paul tumbled over the edge soon after, pressing his sweaty forehead to Jared's back as he emptied himself inside of his best friend. Collapsing on top of each other, both boys panted before working to roll onto their backs.

"You – you could have used a condom, dick." Jared breathed, his nose scrunching in distaste as he moved his hips side to side.

Paul laughed lightly, too tired to think about what had just happened. "Worried you'll get pregnant, princess?"

He didn't have to look at Jared to know he had rolled his eyes. "You're a man-whore. Who knows what you have."

"I'm clean, you idiot. Just ask your mom."

"Really Paul?" Jared raised an eyebrow as he pushed up, wincing slightly as he readjusted. "An 'I fucked your mom joke' _now_?"

Paul's brows furrowed in confusion before he laughed deeply. "Chill dude, I just meant that she works at the clinic and has seen my lab results." Paul placed his hands under his head as Jared pulled the blanket up over them. Now that they weren't moving, the room was starting to cool down.

"Paul?" Jared's voice was low, and it caused Paul's expression to fall into one of apprehension. The reality of the situation was starting to settle around them… and it could change everything. "I'm fucking drunk…"

With a short laugh, Paul's eyes slid to Jared as he rolled over, facing away from him. In the morning, they would have to deal with this, but for right now, Paul wanted to think about what it meant… about how the best sex he'd ever had, had been with Jared Cameron. "Me too."

The next morning came too soon, and it brought with it the hangover from hell. Paul's skull pounded in a way it hadn't since the first time he had gotten drunk years prior. On top of that, his muscles were sore. Blinking against the rare sunlight that chose today of all days to make an appearance, he looked around the familiar room with a feeling of displacement. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was… off. Shifting to sit up, he realized what it was… he was naked. Images from the previous night came flooding back, causing Paul's breaths to come in short, panicked gasps. It was a dream, right? There was no way any of that had _actually_ happened.

He looked to his right but there was no sign of Jared. Instead, a large stain in the middle of the bed caught his attention. _Shit! Fucking shit!_ He hissed inwardly as he jumped from the bed, quickly locating his pants. What the fuck had he been thinking!? Had it really been _that_ long since he had gotten laid? Running a hand over his face, Paul took a deep breath before sliding his shirt on. It was okay… it didn't mean anything. They were drunk and horny. They would have never done it otherwise. Hell, maybe Jared didn't even remember! Paul held onto that hope as he quietly made his way out of Jared's room and past Jackie's door, knowing she would be sleeping in.

When he finally made it to the kitchen, Jared paused at the sight of him, his spoon full of cereal hanging somewhere between the bowl and his mouth. Slowly, he lowered it back and averted his gaze. _Shiiiit_.

"Um…" Paul tried, not sure what he could say to make the situation less awkward. This was Jared – his _best_ friend. It wasn't some one night stand he could run away from. "I… uh…"

"We were drunk." Jared offered, peaking at him quickly before looking away. "Whatever happened… it was because we were drunk…" His voice was small, and Paul hated it.

"Right." Paul nodded, clearing his throat. "Look man, like you said, we wouldn't have… we drank too much. It doesn't mean we're…"

"Definitely not." Jared agreed hastily, finally forcing his gaze to Paul. "Besides, we've got dates with those twins tonight." He tried with a half-hearted smile.

"You know if you want to chicken out, I can entertain them both…" Paul matched Jared's smile, his shoulders loosening at Jared's snort.

"Dream on, Lahote. If I'm feeling generous, I'll leave one for you." And like that, they had reached a silent agreement to not talk about what had happened.

* * *

 **AN:** Well, that was certainly a steamier first chapter than I had intended! Reviews are looooved!


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

 _Forget It_

* * *

Paul had wanted to forget what had happened between he and Jared. He tried desperately to bury his mind elsewhere – even pulling his grades up to a solid B. He started dating a cheerleader from Forks High, and kept his hands busy with some one-off jobs around the reservation, but when he was alone at night, his mind drifted back to his best friend. He wasn't stupid enough to bring it up with Jared. What would he say? They had silently agreed to never talk about it again. And Paul didn't _want_ to talk about it! With a deep sigh, he tugged at the roots of his hair. Unlike a lot of guys on the rez, he wore it short. The ladies tended to prefer it that way. But he didn't care what they preferred any more. He had slept with six women since that night only three months ago, and none of them measured up. Cursing, Paul pulled a cigarette from the pack he kept crumpled on his nightstand. He had picked up smoking too. "I'm not a fucking faggot!" He declared to the empty room as he lit the tip, inhaling deeply. His free hand opened and closed as anger rippled through him. "Stupid fucking alcohol…" He spat out. He would never drink again if this was how it was going to end – with him buried balls deep in another dude's ass. The thought alone was enough to make him sick.

With a silent curse, Paul's gaze traveled to his rocking ceiling fan as tears pricked his eyes. Why did it have to be with Jared? His best friend? He had to look the boy in the eyes every day and pretend that he wasn't thinking of _that night_. He had to pretend he didn't know what Jared's body tasted like. He had to pretend that he didn't think of him every time he was buried in a pussy that did nothing for him. He had to pretend he didn't want it again. With trembling hands, he snuffed out the cigarette that held no appeal to him and ran his hand over his face as he heard the front door open. It wasn't his mother – he knew that much. She had sent him an email from somewhere in California. Paul didn't read enough of it to find out where.

"I was wondering where the fuck you were." Jared offered as he let himself into Paul's house, and then his bedroom. "What's up with you man? You were supposed to meet me at the movies like twenty minutes ago. Stacy was pissed and she took her hot friend with her." Jared gave Paul a pointed look. Stacy was Paul's current girlfriend – not that she was much more than a distraction. A shitty one at that if his thoughts were anything to go off of.

"I've been feeling like shit." Paul mumbled, letting his head fall back against the headboard. It wasn't a complete lie. He _did_ feel like shit.

"Maybe you're catching that bug that's going around. Sam Uley was out of school for like two weeks. Have you seen him lately? Dude's all jacked now."

"Why would I give a shit if Sam Uley is jacked?" Paul hissed, his expression softening as Jared held his hands up in defense.

"What's up with you, man? You've had a shitty attitude lately." Paul sighed and forced his eyes away from Jared.

"Just a shitty month. My mom's still AWOL." He excused. What was he supposed to say? That he couldn't help but notice the way Jared had been filling out his t-shirts more these days? That he couldn't forget the way he had tasted of gin and something completely new?

"That sucks. You know you can always come stay at my place." There was a hint of hurt to Jared's tone. They hadn't really hung out overnight since _the incident_. Paul simply didn't trust himself.

"Yeah, maybe." Paul shrugged. "Been spending a lot of time at Stacy's place, but she talks too fucking much."

"She's a chick." Jared laughed causing Paul to smile lightly. "They kind of do that."

"Whatever." Paul scoffed as he pulled himself from the bed. His self-deprecating thoughts would have to take a back seat. "Like you would know the first thing about women," he teased as Jared followed him back towards the front of the house. "Did your mom make anything good for dinner?"

The boys sat on the beach, watching as a group of Forks High students laughed and sprayed each other with the icy water. Normally, Paul would be cold, but lately he just seemed to run hot. Stacy was still obviously pissed at him – he could tell by the way she hung all over some jock and watched him from the corner of her eye. Maybe he should have been jealous – or at the very least, angry that she would play these games, but he couldn't bring himself to do more than glance in their direction. On the other end of the beach, Sam Uley sat with a woman – Emily Young, Paul remembered. She was a cousin to the Clearwater's, and judging by her face, she had had a nasty run in with a bear or something. Paul tried not to stare, but every time he looked up, Sam would be… _watching_ them. Jared and Paul hadn't been close to Sam, but they had been friendly. The way he watched them made Paul's skin crawl… like he _knew_ something.

Standing, Paul brushed the sand from his pants and turned to meet Jared's questioning gaze. Let's go to the Ateara's shop and see if Quil's working. Maybe we can score some beer." _Not enough to get drunk_ , Paul added mentally as Jared smiled and hopped up. He caught the scowl Stacy sent his way, but brushed it off as he and Jared entered the familiar woods around the beach. Most locals avoided the woods, especially this time of year, but a lot of the younger kids used them as shortcuts around the reservation. Stores and houses were few and far between, and it was just too much trouble to stick to roads that didn't even have sidewalks.

"I'm thinking about going out for the wrestling team." Jared broke the silence, and Paul snorted.

"Why, you feel like wearing spandex and grabbing on other dudes?" He gave his friend a shit-eating grin. "It's cool if you're a fag man, we can still be friends."

"Shut the fuck up, dude." Jared hissed, pushing Paul's shoulder and nearly sending the taller man toppling to the ground. Paul had always been the stronger of the two, so he simply blinked for a moment as he regained his balance.

"Watch who you're fucking with, Cameron." Paul bit back, but smiled as he shoved Jared back, laughing as he stumbled before a tree broke his fall.

Before the laughter could die on Paul's lips, Jared huffed and charged him, catching him around the middle and sending them both toppling to the ground. They tumbled down a small decline, both boys laughing as they tried to one-up the other. To Paul's surprise, it was harder than usual to overpower Jared. He thought he had won when he managed to wrap legs around Jared's, pinning him to the damp forest floor, but in a move that looked like it surprised Jared himself, the younger male managed to flip them so that he was hovering over Paul.

With a barking laugh, Jared smiled down at Paul, and the older boy felt his expression softening. "Told you dude! I'm even stronger than you now…" His boisterous bragging faded to a whisper as Jared realized the position they were in.

Their faces hung close together, their warm breaths coming out in visible puffs mingled between them. Somewhere during the tussle, Paul's hands had found purchase on Jared's hot hips where his shirt had managed to ride up just enough to give Paul access to that velvet skin that had been driving him near insane. Paul's brows knit together as he searched Jared's eyes – wondering if he felt this… static between them. Confusion turned to shock as he felt Jared grow hard on top of him.

"Paul…" Jared's voice seemed to betray him, quivering as if to ask Paul what was happening. Paul wanted to have an answer – to come up with some simple explanation as to why the tent in his own pants was growing. The hands on his shoulders tightened as Jared's mocha eyes shot back and forth between Paul's own. He almost wished he could see his own reflection. Did he look as scared as Jared did?

Slowly, Jared lowered his head, and before Paul could think better of it, he met him in the middle. This kiss was not like the heated, drunken ones they had shared. It was slow and searing, full of words and feelings they dared not even address within the safety of their own minds. As Jared's bottom lip shook, Paul brought one hand to his face, nearly sighing at the rough contrast of scruff against his palm. He ran his tongue across his best friend's full bottom lip, shuttering at the familiar taste that could only be described as Jared.

A twig snapping somewhere nearby caused both boys to pull apart, shooting away from each other like they had been caught red-handed. Hell, maybe they almost had. Whatever had cause the twig to snap seemed to have left, because the only sound that filled the still air was their uneven breaths. Paul looked guiltily towards Jared, but the younger boy was simply smiling.

"I'm totally going to make the team." He declared as he stood, reaching a hand out to help Paul up. If Jared was content in not addressing what just happened, so was Paul.

Adjusting his pants as inconspicuously as possible, Paul took the offered hand and hopped up. "Whatever, Jare. It's not like the La Push High team is anything special anyway." He chuckled as Jared shoved his shoulder again.

They walked towards the Ateara store, Paul's steps feeling lighter than they had in weeks. What had happened… it didn't mean anything. They were teenage boys, after all. They would probably fuck a lamp if it looked soft enough. Either way, Paul knew it didn't make him gay. Shit, girls made out with each other all the time. It didn't mean _anything_.

They pushed into the familiar store, just narrowly missing Leah Clearwater who seemed content to run them over on her way out of the store. "What the fuck is her problem?" Paul sneered, turning his gaze from the door to a frowning Quil who stood behind the register.

"You guys didn't hear?" Quil raised a brow as he leaned across the counter. There were a few more people in the store, but they were towards the back. "Sam Uley dumped her for her cousin." His eyes widened at the scandal. "I heard it's because she's…" Quil gave the boys a pointed look. " _That_ way."

Jared's brows furrowed as Paul's throat suddenly grew tight. "What way? A bitch? We all knew that." Jared barked a laugh, but it faded when he caught Paul's tense expression.

"No, I mean… she's a lesbo!" Quil declared, and Paul didn't miss the way Old Man Harris's eyes shot to the three of them.

"Really, Quil!" Janice Ateara chastised as she emerged from the back, a deep frown pulling at her lips. "You shouldn't say such things. Imagine what it could do to that poor girl's reputation if everyone thought she was _gay_!" She hissed the word like it was a curse. "They would probably run her right off the reservation! That's a horrible thing to accuse someone of being!"

Paul turned from the pair, pretending to look through a few magazines as he willed his heart to stop pounding. "Would that be such a bad thing?" Jared's words made Paul's entire body freeze. He couldn't even bring himself to turn and watch Quil and Mrs. Ateara's reactions. "It's the twenty-first century… It's not really a big deal to be gay anymore." Paul wished he could speak on the subject with as much conviction as Jared.

"Lesbians are hot in movies and stuff, but having one live on the reservation? I me-" Quil's words were cut off by Mrs. Ateara slapping him once over the head – a gesture Paul caught the tail end of.

"That's disgusting, Quil." She shook her head at her son's callous words before turning to look at Jared. "Being _that way_ is well and fine for some people, but not on a reservation. Our people are pushed onto these tiny plots of land, and every year our numbers grow smaller. The government wants to dwindle us down until we don't exist anymore, and they can finally take the last of our land. The only way we're going to keep our people and culture alive is to stick to traditional ways."

"But that's not the way it always was!" Paul jumped at Jared's raised voice, turning to stare at him with wide-eyes. Everyone was watching now as Jared's shoulders shook. Jared was always easy-going and light. All his life, Paul had heard Jared raise his voice maybe twice, and those were during video games. "Native tribes used to have no problem with homosexuality, it was only when we were forced to conform to Christianity that our views changed!" Paul blinked to make sure he wasn't wrong in thinking Jared's form was _vibrating_. Mrs. Ateara watched Jared with apprehension and something akin to understanding.

"Sorry, about him, Janice." Paul gave the woman a tight smile as he placed a hand on Jared's shaking arm, pushing him towards the door. "Leah's a friend, and he just doesn't want anyone to think badly about her." She was an acquaintance at best, but it was an excuse to get them out of there.

Jared's form still shook as Paul pushed him into the cool damp air and pulled him around the back of the store where there would be no prying eyes. "What the fuck was that, man?" Paul whispered harshly as Jared's hands balled at his sides. As much as he ripped into Jared… he understood. There was a small part of him that felt guilty for not doing the same thing… for not standing up for whatever _this_ was between them. It was wrong – Paul knew it was… but how wrong could it be if Paul felt like he could breathe for the first time in weeks?

"I-I don't know." Jared shook as he looked at Paul helplessly. "I don't know why I'm s-so angry. She was just saying those things, and I…" His gaze leveled on Paul as a helpless look dragged his features downward. "I wouldn't want anyone to…" Jared shook his head. Paul understood. Neither of them would want people saying those things about _them_.

Glancing around quickly to make sure there were no prying eyes, Paul sighed and moved to the smaller male, pulling his vibrating form against his chest. Paul's eyes slid closed as Jared's shaking slowed, his heated arms winding their way around Paul's middle. They didn't really hug, and even when they did, it was a 'guy-hug'. Always off to the side or one-handed. This was different. This was pure comfort and understanding. They might have been the only two people on the reservation that truly understood each other.

"Me too…" Paul breathed, burying his nose against Jared's temple. He felt Jared's fists curl up in the back of his shirt.

"What's happening to us, Paul?" His voice was no more than a whisper, but the words seemed to echo through Paul's mind.

"I don't know, Jare… but at least we're in it together."

* * *

 **AN:** Officially my new OTP, fight me on it lol. I love them soooo much!


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

 _For Science_

* * *

Jared wasn't sure if he was simply going through some kind of second phase of puberty, or if he was slowly going insane. On top of being insatiably hungry, and irrationally angry all the time, there was also the Paul situation. They didn't talk about it – maybe because they were afraid of it, or maybe because it simply wasn't the manly thing to do. They hadn't kiss again since the one they had shared in the woods only days ago, but something between them was… shifting. They sat closer, their hands lingered with every passing touch, and they would find themselves staring at each other without speaking for longer than was probably deemed appropriate. Jared had always considered himself a heterosexual man. After all, he _liked_ women. He enjoyed the softness of their skin and the way they smelled. But lately… he had also enjoyed the woodsy smell that seemed to cling to Paul and the callousness of his hands. He wasn't sure what it meant for him… for them. His eyes flickered to Paul where he sat across the island of Jared's kitchen, dark brows furrowed as he read over the homework. Jared was sure that if he ever admitted out loud that he found Paul's pouty lips and long lashes pretty, the older boy would kick his ass. Not that he ever would. Even if there was something substantial to these new feelings, nothing could ever come of them. The tribe would never accept it.

"You stuck on calc again?" Paul's question caused Jared to blink out of his thoughts, realizing that once again, he had been staring at his best friend.

"Yeah." Jared gave a short laugh. It was an easier explanation, and calculus had always been his worst subject.

"We've been over this, man." Paul rolled his eyes as he stood. "You're gonna flunk the class unless you start paying attention, and I can't be friends with an idiot."

Despite how harsh Paul's words would seem to an outsider, Jared heard the tenderness behind them. Not many people bothered to find out that Paul was actually smart – when he tried. In middle school, he got made fun of for answering a question correctly when no one else knew the answer, and ever since then, Paul had publicly dumbed himself down. It drove his teachers and Jared's mom crazy that he purposefully would leave answers blank on tests, if only to keep his average at a respectable C. Jared's eyes moved to his textbook – probably for the first time today – as Paul rounded the island and leaned over his shoulder. He wondered silently if Paul noticed the way his body hovered closer than it used to, or the way his large hand came to rest on Jared's lower back. It was a touch that would seem out of place to anyone outside of the two that happened to be looking on. But since it was just Jared in Paul sheltered in the quiet warmth of Jared's kitchen, he took the opportunity to bask in the feel of it.

"You're making stupid mistakes, Jare." Paul scoffed as he took the pencil from Jared's hand to correct where he had been off by one simple number. Jared swore his fingers still tingled where Paul's hand had brushed them. He didn't look down at his work as Paul corrected him, choosing instead to look at the angular lines of Paul's profile. His nose, sharp and slightly crooked from when he had broken it during a fight in the seventh grade. The way his chin came into a shadowed point below full lips that often laid in a crooked smile causing Paul's singular dimple to make an appearance. Whatever he had been feeling for Paul was something new… something terrifying. They didn't talk about it – too afraid of what they might discover. On the rare occasion that Jared worked up the courage to lead the conversation in that direction, Paul would simply deflect and change the subject. He had always been so worried about self-image. Jared knew him well enough to know that Paul was taking this even harder than he was.

When Jared didn't respond to a question he didn't hear, Paul's gaze turned to him. Their eyes met and lingered, whatever Paul was going to say next forgotten when he realized just how close their faces were. Jared could practically see the struggle behind Paul's charcoal gaze as he rubbed his nose alongside Jared's, the forgotten pencil falling to the notebook with a dull thud. He wasn't sure what it was, but kissing Paul… touching Paul… It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Jared tilted his chin up, because he knew somewhere in the back of his mind that Paul wouldn't make the first move – that he only justified it to himself when Jared was the one to initiate. But when he did, Paul didn't hesitate to catch his lips. Each kiss with Paul was a new experience. This wasn't heavy and needy, nor was it searing. This kiss was slow and careful. Jared turned on his stool slowly so that they were facing each other, his hands winding around Paul's back to pull him forward to stand between his open legs.

Lately, Jared's world seemed to be spinning faster than normal. His emotions were out of whack, and there was a constant feeling of unease that he wore like a blanket. But when he was with Paul… Paul was familiar and comforting. He grounded the younger male in a way nothing else could. As if he knew that he was slowly becoming Jared's happy place, Paul cupped Jared's narrow face in his large hands, his teeth nipping at Jared's bottom lip. Jared moaned into Paul's open mouth as the older boy bucked forward slightly, proving that this wasn't all just in Jared's head.

With a groan that matched the pained look on Paul's face, he pulled away just far enough to rest his forehead against Jared's. "We… we can't do this…" Jared wasn't sure if Paul was talking to himself or him. "We were… we were drunk that night. This isn't right… I'm not… we're not…"

When Paul couldn't voice the word that was the root of both of their fears, Jared's hands tightened in the back of his shirt. "We were drunk, but… it was good, right?" Sure, Jared wasn't as experienced as Paul, but good sex wasn't that hard to identify, was it? He suddenly felt self-conscience as all these doubts flooded to the surface. What if it _hadn't_ been as good as he remembered?

Paul let out a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah, Jare. It was fucking great." Paul admitted, his lips brushing Jared's again in a soft, fleeting kiss.

"Well… we should do it again. I mean, what if it was only good because we were drunk and we're worrying about nothing? We should give it a real shot – no holding back." It was an out – Jared knew it was. He needed a reason, and Paul needed an excuse.

Paul's lips quirked in the smallest of smiles. "So we should do it again to make sure?" He asked, skeptically raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, for science and shit." Jared's smile widened as Paul chuckled.

"For science and shit." Paul echoed as his hand wove through Jared's shaggy hair, yanking his head back gently before covering his mouth with those full lips that could be equally distracting and addicting.

Jared moaned into the kiss as his hands released Paul's shirt to dip under the hem and dance along the heated skin of his back. He followed the tug on his hair until he was standing, their bodies pressed together. It was easy to forget that this was wrong when Paul made his toes curl and his heart race. They only broke the kiss to toss their shirts off to the side before practically slamming back together, a tangled mess of hot kisses and wondering hands. Jared had never been the most dominant of men, especially since he was used to Paul taking the lead, so when Paul flipped him around to press his stomach into the island, he didn't fight it. His eyes closed tightly as Paul's teeth grazed the sensitive flesh of his neck.

"It was so fucking good, Jare…" Paul breathed huskily in his ear. Jared had heard the girls at school talk about Paul's sexual prowess. Apparently, he was very vocal during sex, which alluded to a confidence Jared wasn't sure he would ever possess. "I can't stop thinking about your tight ass." He admitted, making Jared hiss as Paul ground into him, proving his point. His head fell backwards as Paul's hand pushed past the waistband of his jeans to grasp him. He shuttered once as Paul's skillful hand worked over him. "Does that feel good, baby?" Paul purred as he caught Jared's ear between his teeth. It shouldn't have felt so natural, and the new term of endearment shouldn't have made Jared's knees buckle. His voice was long since lost, so Jared simply nodded, a whimper pushing past his lips. Jared had said that they shouldn't hold back, and it seemed Paul was taking that to heart.

He nearly cried out in disappointment as Paul's hand left him to undo the button of his jeans. Before Paul's hand found him again, Jared heard the distinct sound of a zipper. "We don't have any lube…" Jared croaked as Paul rubbed his ridged length between his cheeks. Jared's body moved of its own accord to press back against him. He had been worried about being penetrated previously, but it hadn't been as bad as he expected. In fact, it had been the best orgasm of his life.

"We'll improvise." Paul's voice was short and gruff as he reached past Jared to snag the bottle of olive oil that sat there. If it wasn't for Paul's hand slowly working him towards his end, Jared might have laughed. He certainly would never be able to look at olive oil the same way again.

Paul fumbled behind him for a moment before a hand hooked under Jared's thigh and lifted it so that his food found purchase on the bottom of the barstool he had just been sitting on. As Paul's now slick finger began to probe him, Jared turned his head to catch Paul's lips in a sloppy kiss. The sensation of being filled was one Jared wasn't sure he would ever get used to. Paul didn't rush him though, only adding a second finger when his body relaxed. This position was different from being in bed. His body was stretched tighter, but at least this time he knew what to expect. Shortly after Paul added a third finger, he brushed that magical spot inside of Jared that made him moan like a hooker with rent due. Paul's deep chuckle vibrated through Jared's back as he withdrew completely. He knew that Paul would drag it out – that it would only be good for Jared if he was still hard and squirming when he entered him.

Much like their first time, Paul showed more control than Jared would have. He sheathed himself inside of his best friend slowly, and for that Jared was thankful. This angle was indeed a different story and even the wet kisses placed across his shoulders and neck couldn't distract from the burning sensation of being stretched. The air seemed to still along with their bodies as their panting filled the silence. A muscled arm wrapped around Jared's chest to hold their bodies pressed together. There was something so primal and fulfilling about having Paul buried inside of him. Like… like this was how it was supposed to be. Jared wouldn't say so out loud, but it was the only time he felt tethered and complete.

Paul pumped him slowly as his hips began to move, and Jared was glad his mother wasn't home. His moans filled the house as he looked for something – anything to grasp onto. He settled for the edges of the island, not caring as the textbooks and papers cascaded to the ground. The sounds of flesh slapping flesh were erotic when paired with the sensation of being filled over and over again. Paul's hand hooked under Jared's thigh as it wavered, holding his leg aloft as his hips picked up speed. Jared might have moaned Paul's name, but it was all flashing lights and new sensations as far as he could tell.

"Come on, baby." Paul all but growled into Jared's ear as he folded his body over his. Another shutter wracked Jared's body as Paul's thrusts grew erratic. "Cum for me, Jare…" He moaned deep and low.

And as if a switch had been flipped, Jared's body obeyed, spilling himself down the front of the island and onto the floor with one last, long moan. He felt Paul pump into him once more before holding himself there, a hiss ghosting past Jared's ear as he joined him in insanity. "That was…" Jared's voice was as weak and shaky as his legs.

"Better than the first time…" Paul finished his thought in a whisper. As their hearts and breathing slowed, the boys stayed where they were, contemplating just what that meant.

Paul glanced up from his phone as Jared paced in front of him. The streets of Port Angeles were busy, as was the theater they were standing outside of, but that was typical for a Friday night. It was a secret only known by the two of them and Jackie Cameron that Jared hated scary movies. Normally, Paul would throw his friend a bone and opt to see something else, but he was trying to make up flaking on their last date to Stacy. The chick had a serious lady-boner for horror films. Besides, if she brought her slutty friend, Jared probably wouldn't be watching much of the movie anyway. If he were being honest with himself, he wasn't sure which outcome was less appealing. A couple of weeks ago, he would be up for making out with a random chick in a dark movie theater, but after this afternoon… he was still trying to wrap his head around his newfound desires.

"They're not coming." Paul sighed as he pushed off of the wall he had been leaning on. "It's her payback for me not showing last time." Paul rolled his eyes, but otherwise seemed unbothered by the information.

"Oh well." Jared's shoulders relaxed. "Guess we won't have to see the movie."

"Dude, we already bought the tickets." Paul leveled him with a look and held up the stubs. " _We_ have to at least see the movie or it'll be a complete waste."

Jared frowned, his nerves returning. When he was younger, his father thought that showing him the goriest of horror movies would be a good way to 'toughen him up'. It had the opposite effect and scared Jared shitless. "Can't we trade them in for one of the other movies?"

"They're all chick-flicks." Paul gestured to the row of posters. "Besides, tomorrow's Valentine's Day, they're all going to be sold out." He clapped Jared on the shoulder, his hand lingering a bit longer than necessary. "Let's just get in there. If it's really bad, we'll leave."

Jared begrudgingly agreed as Paul's hand fell away. Much like Paul had predicted, every other theater but theirs was packed. It seemed like not a lot of people wanted to see a horror film that was weeks old the day before Valentine's Day. The only other people in the theater were an older man and a couple of teens that sat towards the front. Climbing the stairs, the boys sat in the back row so that if they had to get up to leave, they wouldn't disturb anyone. They settled in their seats just as the last of the previews ended.

Jared jumped a little as the movie opened with an ear-piercing scream, his wide eyes moving across the screen as the camera focused on a running blonde. She screamed again, and Jared tensed. His eyes moved away from the flashing lights of the screen to his arm as Paul's hand settled there, but his friend's eyes never left the movie. Jared looked around the theater at the other five people that sat there, but they didn't care that Paul was touching Jared's arm. Hell, they probably wouldn't have even been able to see it.

As the killer appeared on screen with blood dripping from eyes, Jared sunk back in his seat. Slowly, as if he were second guessing himself, Paul's hand slid downward until his fingers were laced through Jared's. Neither looked away from the screen to acknowledge the gesture. Instead, Jared simply tightened his hold as the title lit up the theater.

They stayed like that for the remainder of the movie, only speaking once when Paul leaned over to make fun of the lead actress. Halfway through, Jared felt his body begin to relax. It still wasn't his favorite genre, but it was a hell of a lot more bearable with Paul's warm hand wrapped around his own.

* * *

 **AN** : So I usually like to pick a song for each of my fics that works as kind of like inspo/a theme song for it, and I decided for this one, it's Marshmello ft. Bastille – Happier. It's so fitting!

Special thanks to YaleAceBella12 for reviewing! It's nice to know that someone is enjoying this story lol


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

 _The Change_

* * *

The instant he woke, Paul was aware of the body in the bed next to him. Ever since the movie, Paul and Jared had been spending the night at each other's place. Of course, they had before then, but it was more consistent now. They hadn't talked about what happened, or their feelings, choosing instead to just enjoy whatever this was between them. They hadn't slept together since that day either, though Paul would be lying if he said he didn't want to. He was still trying to come to terms with that little fact himself. Jared stirred beside him, his arm tightening around Paul's waist as he nuzzled into Paul's neck. Paul enjoyed moments like this – when they didn't have to pretend or worry about looking gay. His stomach clenched at the thought of the reaction they would get. It wasn't like he walked around checking out dudes. Other than Jared, Paul had never even considered being with another man. He wasn't sure what that meant for him, or them for that matter.

"What time is it?" Jared slurred as he rolled onto his back, shielding his eyes from the sun with the back of his arm.

"Like noon?" Paul guessed as he lifted his head to glance out the window. He had given up on having an alarm clock after breaking the third one. The click of the front door caused Paul to pause. "Who the fuck is that?" Paul frowned, throwing off the covers on his side of the bed as his door opened.

"Paulie-" The voice drifted off as a familiar figure emerged from the shadow of the hall. "For fuck's sake, Paul. You two are still sharing a bed?" Her head tilted to the side as she frowned at the boys. "You're getting too old for that shit, Paulie. People'll start to think you're queer."

"What are you doing here, mom?" Paul nearly growled as Jared slowly rose sleepily beside him.

"I fucking own the house, unless you forgot." She spat, straightening a little more. "The only thing your good for nothing father bothered to leave us."

"I haven't seen you in months, and the first thing you do is call me queer?" Paul sneered, both angry at the slur and at his mother for just showing up.

"I know you're not queer, Paulie." She waved her hand dismissively. "You're too much of a womanizer, just like your asshole of a father." She spat already turning her back to them as she continued on. "I just came home to grab a few things. I met this man in Tallahassee that owns his own yacht. He's taking me to the Caribbean."

Paul's shoulders shook as his mother compared him to his father – the one person he couldn't stand. "I'm nothing like that jackass!" He called, but his mother's door had already slammed shut. He was on his feet and at the door in a matter of moments, his hands shaking as he grabbed the frame. "Did you hear me!? I said I'm nothing like that son of a bitch!" He bellowed before slamming the door shut, his forehead pressing against the cool wood as his stinging eyes closed.

She always did this – disappeared for months at a time and blew back into his life like a hurricane. She left a trail of destruction in her wake. Holly Lahote was an expert at striking a nerve, and this had to be a new quickest time record. He flinched as Jared's hand landed on the middle of his back before winding around his waist. As Jared's cheek pressed into Paul's shoulder, the older male let out a shaky breath. "She's wrong." Jared's voice was soft and did nothing to stop the tears Paul was working on fighting back. "You're not him, Paul. She just says that shit to get under your skin." Jared pulled back just far enough to force Paul to turn and look at him.

"Whatever, man." Paul tried to excuse, his eyes anywhere but on Jared's soft face. He didn't want to break down – not now. "Like I give a shit about what that bitch thinks." His eyes fluttered closed as Jared's hands cupped his face, his calloused thumbs swiping under Paul's eyes.

"Don't do this, Paul. Don't let her get to you like this." He pulled Paul's face downward, his lips ghosting over the skin his thumbs had just covered. "You're an amazing person, Paul. You're twice the man he was." His lips trailed over the other side of Paul's face as a tear slipped through thick lashes. This was… new. A comfort that Paul had not expected. It didn't help the already emotionally vulnerable state he was in. Instead of voicing just how touched he was at the gesture, he simply caught Jared's lips in a silent thank you.

He couldn't help but notice they were almost the same height now. Jared had always been shorter, though not by much. He topped out around five-eleven at the age of fifteen, but seemed to close the gap on Paul's six-one frame overnight. "I told your mom we'd cut the grass today." He sighed after pulling back to ghost his lips over Jared's one last time. "If we put it off any longer, she's gonna guilt trip us all week." He smirked as he pulled out of Jared's arms. Paul had never been one to wear his emotions on his sleeve. Even with Jared, who knew him better than anyone, he couldn't help but be guarded. It was probably the only lesson Paul's dad left him with – men are always in control. They had two emotions, pissed off and horny. Anything more, and you might as well consider yourself a woman.

The boys spent the next few hours fixing up Jackie's yard. It wasn't something they had to do often thanks to the cold weather usually stunting the growth of the grass, but Paul was happy to appease the woman that had been more of a mother to him than his own. When they were done, they collapsed on Jared's couch, deciding on playing a few Xbox games until Jackie came home. Although they sat on opposite ends, their legs were thrown together in the middle, a mass of tangled limbs that Paul would have avoided only weeks earlier. There was comfort in the casual touch, but the back of Paul's mind rang with warning. What if Jackie came home and noticed the strange interaction? What if she started asking questions? Would she be sickened by the truth and throw Paul out? Jackie and Jared were the only people Paul considered family, and to lose them… it would mean truly being alone.

"Did I tell you that I saw Sam Uley again?" Jared asked, and Paul didn't need to look away from the game to know his face was twisted in displeasure. At first, they thought they had been imagining things, but now they were sure that Sam Uley was all but stalking them – more so Jared. Sure, the rez was a small place, but there was no reasonable explanation for Sam showing up _everywhere_. It didn't just seem like a coincidence either. It was like he was… _watching_ them. "He's been weird as shit ever since he came back from being sick. And get this, I asked my mom what was wrong with him, since he probably went to the clinic, and she just said that 'Sam Uley is a good man'." He scoffed and threw his controller down as Paul won yet again.

"Bullshit." Paul spat, finally turning to look at him. "I don't have anything against the guy, but he's acting weird as shit. I mean, he buzzed off his hair, dumped Leah Clearwater for her cousin, and now he hardly shows up at school anymore. I thought I saw him just _standing_ in the woods outside of the Ateara store the other day." Paul frowned. "And you were right, dude is on steroids or some shit."

"I don't know man." Jared shook his head as his frown deepened. "I feel like there is something going on. Whatever it is, I feel like my mom knows. She's been acting weird around me lately. She just… _watches_ me, like Sam does. And she keeps asking if I feel alright." A long moment of silence passed between the boys. "I feel like everyone knows something we don't."

"It's this fucking reservation, man. I can't wait to graduate in the fall. I'm getting the fuck out of here." Paul declared. He wasn't sure if he would go to college, but he knew he needed to get out of La Push.

"I applied to UCLA." Jared admitted. They had talked about getting off the reservation when they were younger, but with graduation coming up, it was all becoming real. "I want to go somewhere sunny and far away from the idiots that live here."

Paul hummed in agreement. He hadn't given much thought to where he would go, but he knew he needed to get out. "California will be nice." He nodded in thought. He'd never been, but had heard stories of what it was like there. People were so different… so open-minded.

"You should come with me." The offer shouldn't have meant as much as it did. Of course, growing up together, they had always planned on leaving together too. They were best friends after all. But after the last few months… this seemed to hold more weight. "It'll be nice to start over somewhere new. People there… they wouldn't know us, or care about who we are… or, you know, anything." Jared shrugged his way through the broken sentence, but Paul understood. If they left together they would be free to explore whatever _this_ was without the prying eyes of everyone they had ever known. It could give them the freedom to really understand their newfound feelings. At least… Paul had feelings.

Leaning forward, Paul's hand wound its way around Jared's neck, pulling him forward until their lips softly met. "California it is, then." He smiled lightly as they shared several small kisses. "Sun, booze, and thousands of miles between us and the rez."

"We could get a small apartment on the beach." Jared's smile was wider than Paul's as his hands found Paul's free one. "We could go surfing all year long and throw out all of our rain clothes."

It wasn't until they kissed again that it hit Paul. They were talking about running away to be together. Part of him was terrified about what that meant. What if it blew up in their faces and their friendship was permanently ruined? What if it didn't? What if this newfound arrangement between them became more serious? More permanent? They would have to return to the reservation occasionally. Would they tell Jackie? Would they endure the whispers and looks from the tribe? Would they pretend to simply be friends every time they went home? And how would they answer the inevitable questions about marriage and children? The questions that ran through Paul's mind were heavy, but they didn't need to be answered right now. All he knew was that when he was with Jared… he was happy. If running away to California meant holding onto that happiness a bit longer… well, he was willing to try.

They split from their heated kiss as the lock of the front door twisted. They jumped to opposite ends of the couch as Jackie entered, shaking the rain from her hair with a smile. "Thank you boys for taking care of the yard. I'm sure it wasn't easy in this weather." Hanging up her coat, she turned to look at them. "So, who's hungry?"

After dinner and a lengthy conversation about upcoming midterms, the boys helped clean up the kitchen before heading to Jared's room. It was always hard to fall asleep on Sunday night, knowing that they had school early the next morning. Jackie's rule about 'lights out' at eight PM did nothing to help, especially over the last few months. Instead of lying awake to talk in hushed whispers, they spent the last week tangled together in the dark, their lips and hands exploring new territory. School was always harder. They had to be particularly careful there, especially with Sam Uley's prying eyes around every corner. This time when Paul took Jared, it was… different. Instead of facing away, Jared was sprawled on his back, their lips pressed together as Paul moved slowly inside of him. Watching Jared's face as he came undone proved to be enough for Paul to tumble over the edge after him. They hadn't spoken the entire time – which was new for Paul. Usually he used dirty words to further his and his partner's pleasure, but in this instance, no words were needed. It had been the single most emotional night of Paul's life, though he kept that bit to himself as they finally drifted off to sleep.

They parted ways at school the next morning, and it wasn't until around lunch that Paul heard from Jared again. Frowning at the text to meet him in the west-side boys bathroom, Paul casually made his way from the cafeteria. The west side of the campus was practically abandoned thanks to a malfunction with the heating in that building. They had moved all the classes to portables just outside, but hadn't bothered to lock up the doors.

"Jare?" Paul called as he entered the freezing bathroom, his breath appearing in a puff before him. "What's up man?" He eyed Jared carefully as the younger man grasped the sink with both hands, his arms shaking.

"Did you fuck Marie Hunt last week?" He asked in what almost sounded like a growl as his angry eyes found Paul's in the mirror.

Paul paused, Jared's hostility a surprise. He had noticed Jared's temper growing lately, but this was completely out of character for the younger male. "No?" It came out as a question as Paul took a tentative step forward. "You know I spent last week at your house, man. What's with you?"

Jared spun around to face him so quickly, Paul nearly jumped – not a fact he was proud of. "Well she's telling everyone you did!" Jared's voice seemed to echo off of the cooled tile before settling around them.

"So the fuck what? It wouldn't be the first time a girl lied about fucking me to seem cool to her friends, and it doesn't exactly hurt our situation." Paul felt his own anger peak. Why was Jared getting so bent out of shape about this? It wasn't like they were… _together_. Not really, anyway. And it wasn't like Paul had started the rumor.

"What _is_ our situation, Paul?" Jared barked out, causing Paul to freeze. "See, there you go again! If you have to so much as _think_ about the truth for a minute, you close up! Are you _that_ worried about what people would think?" He spat, his shoulders shaking now too. "Are you that fucking ashamed of me? Of yourself?"

Paul took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring as he ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't see the need to tell anyone, Jare! _We_ don't even talk about it!"

"That's my point, Paul!" Jared through his hands up before leveling Paul with a glare that looked very out of place on his usual smiling face. "You know what, maybe we just shouldn't talk at all!" He barked before pushing past Paul, his hot, vibrating shoulder bumping him along the way.

Paul watched Jared retreat in surprise. What had just happened? Jared wasn't one to get angry or act irrationally about anything. Paul held his hand out, Jared's name caught in his throat. With a sigh, he let his arm fall as he looked towards the closed door. He would let Jared cool off. By tomorrow they would be back to normal… right?

* * *

 **AN** : Just wanted to give you guys a heads up that the time lines will be a little skewed as far as the guys phasing. Basically, I'm going to have Jacob, Embry and Quil phase in 'Twilight' time instead of 'New Moon'. So they will be phasing sooner rather than later, and the whole shit with Bella going zombie will happen a while after the fact.

Special thanks to everyone that took time to review! YaleAceBella12 & LuvinTwilight143 – thanks so much for enjoying the story!

Maxsmomma – I'm so glad you said that! I was totally going for more of this otherworldly kind of sensuality than raw sexual energy. I really wanted this to be completely new and almost magical for them, because it makes it nearly impossible for the boys to just walk away from :D


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

 _Alone_

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Paul was a man of pride, and since he truly believed he didn't do anything wrong, he didn't call Jared that night or the following day. When he noticed Jared wasn't in his classes by the third day, he started to worry. Sure, they had fought, but with college applications going out, he found it hard to believe that this was all because of _him_. If that wasn't enough to alarm him, on the fourth night of not talking to his best friend, Jackie showed up at Paul's place with a plate of food. She told Paul that Jared had not been feeling well, that he caught that bug that had been going around. Paul accepted the answer, but it still didn't explain why Jared was avoiding his calls. Hell, when they were eight and had the chicken pox, they used their walkie-talkies to stay in touch after they had been banished to their rooms. By the tenth night, Paul was positive something was wrong.

"Jare…" Paul breathed into the phone, tired of talking to Jared's answering machine. "I tried to see you yesterday. Your mom said you were still sick and wouldn't let me in… What's going on, dude? I know you better than that. Look… if this is about…" He pinched the bridge of his nose, at war with his pride and own fears. "I'm sorry, Jare. We can talk about it, okay? We can… I don't know, we can figure something out… just please call me." He hung up before he could practically beg Jared to come over. With this new element in their relationship, it was hard, but it was harder not having his best friend around. For the first time in years, Paul felt… alone. On top of not seeing Jared, Paul was pretty sure he was getting sick too. He was always hot, even with all the windows open. And his body _ached_. It felt like he was being stretched at either end, and he might have been. His long legs no longer fit on his bed, hanging over the edge no matter how high up he moved. Then there was the weird muscle gain. Sure, he had been spending longer hours in the gym without Jared around, but this was insane.

Lighting a cigarette, Paul looked out over his yard. It was quiet here when he was alone. Normally, Paul wouldn't mind the isolation, but Jared's words from a few weeks prior rang in his mind. He now understood what Jared meant when he said that it felt like everyone knew something they didn't. Only now, Jared seemed to be on the other side of the fence. Glancing at his phone, Paul flicked the cigarette into the damp grass and bounced down off the porch. He didn't want to go to school, but he knew it was his only chance to actually talk to Jared – not that he'd been back yet. Besides, it served as a distraction. Over the last week, Paul had tried to fall back on Stacy, but she dumped him for not calling her for a week – like he cared. He just needed a way to get his brain to shut up.

Deciding to skip homeroom, Paul headed straight to the gym. His first class was physical education, which Paul didn't mind. Physical outlets were always a better distraction than mental ones. The boy's baseball team practiced most mornings, so Paul wasn't surprised to find most of them exiting the locker rooms as he arrived. What did surprise him however, was the familiar figure standing outside of the showers, a towel hanging low on his waste as he ran another through his hair… his _much shorter_ hair.

"Jared?" Paul questioned, brows furrowed. He saw Jared's form tense before his eyes slowly slid to meet Paul's he held his best friend's gaze for a moment, almost as if searching for something before frowning and looking away. "What the fuck, dude? Your mom said you were sick." Paul hissed, eyes moving over Jared's body. He certainly didn't _look_ sick. He looked like he had been pumping himself full of steroids the last few weeks to go with his new haircut. "Is that- is that a fucking tattoo?"

"I don't want to talk, Paul." Jared's voice was nearly emotionless as he turned his back to Paul, slipping on some shorts as he pushed the towel out of the way. "We'll talk soon, but now's not a good time." His voice sounded strained now – like he wasn't saying everything he wanted to.

"I left you like six messages." Paul felt heat flush over his body as Jared refused to look at him. "Is this because of me? Because of that stupid fight?"

Jared paused before slowly dragging his eyes back to Paul. They were nearly the same height, which meant Jared had grown even more over the last ten days. "It's not about that, Paul. It's… complicated. You'll know everything soon, but I can't tell you anything right now." Jared's face scrunched before falling. "And about the fight… just forget it. Forget everything."

"What do you mean forget everyth-"

"Forget _us_ , Paul." Jared's words would have been cold, but when he met Paul's gaze again, it was easy to see the torment behind his now hardened eyes. "Whatever it was… it's no good for us anymore."

Paul licked his lips as he gathered himself. It hurt to hear Jared say that – especially when Paul had just begun to admit to himself that he was falling in love with his best friend. But that didn't matter – Jared would never know. All Paul knew was that he couldn't lose him. "So that's it?" Paul nearly winced at the hoarse tone his voice took on. "We can't even be friends anymore? That whole plan to move off of the rez and go to college away from this shithole – that was in place a long time before we… before we were anything more than friends." He nearly deflated at the thought. He was angry – probably angrier than he had been in a long time, but the hurt far outweighed the rage.

"I can't leave the reservation." Jared's voice was quiet, nearly a whisper as he looked to his feet. He mumbled something – something Paul didn't quite catch before looking back up at him. "I wish… I wish we could, Paul. I wish things were as simple as they were a few weeks ago. I mean, shit, they weren't simple, but they were simpler." He took a small step in Paul's direction, his shoulders shaking gently. "Things can't go back to the way they were, Paul. It'll just hurt more, but I need you to know… No matter how it seems, I really did-"

"Jared." A stern, nearly booming voice cut off whatever Jared was going to say. Paul watched as Jared's soft face turned to stone before he stood a little straighter. Looking over his shoulder, Paul frowned at Sam Uley who stood in the doorway to the locker room. "Let's go."

Jared didn't look at Paul as he pushed past him to get to Sam. That hurt more than Paul was willing to admit. "You're friends with Sam Uley now?" It didn't escape Paul's notice the way Sam lightly shook his head no in Jared's direction before stepping aside to let him through. Without a word, Sam's hard eyes landed on Paul, his gaze unwavering and intense before exiting behind Jared, leaving Paul all alone once again.

The rest of the day seemed like a dream. Paul remembered going to his classes, he remembered Jared sitting next to him in biology without so much as a glance, and he remembered getting detention for walking out of biology without permission minutes later… but it was like none of it was actually happening. When Paul finally made it home, he was surprised to find Jackie Cameron sitting on his front steps, a covered plate placed neatly in her lap. Before he could even reach her, he noticed her pitying smile.

"I heard what happened, sweetie." She cooed as she stood, placing the plate on a nearby chair.

"Well that makes one of us, because I have no idea what the fuck is happening anymore!" Paul growled out, his shoulders shaking gently. As fear flashed across Jackie's face, Paul took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Mama Jackie." He gave her the best smile he could muster, which felt more like a grimace. "I just… I don't understand." He breathed deeply as her face softened.

"I know, dear. I promise that this isn't forever." Her words were sweet, but Paul couldn't help but notice the way she kept her distance – like she was afraid of him.

"You know, don't you? You know what's going on with Jared and Sam, and you won't tell me." He asked through clenched teeth.

"I know about a lot of things, Paul." Her pointed gaze sent a shockwave through his system, finally stilling the tremors in his hands. She couldn't possibly mean… "Jared is my son, and you are practically my son. You two aren't as inconspicuous as you thought."

Paul's breath caught. How? When? "Is that why?" He asked, tears pricking his eyes at the thought. Did Jackie make Jared stop talking to him? Did she hate him now that she knew he was… - he couldn't even think it. "Did you tell him to stay away from me because you're angry about it?"

"No…" She cooed gently, taking a tentative step forward to place a hand on his arm, but still keeping a careful distance. "No, Paul, sweetie. I have nothing to do with that. And I'm not angry." She clarified, ducking her head to catch his downcast gaze. "I don't fully understand it, but it's not for me to understand." She took a deep breath through her nose before stepping back to her previous position. "Things are complicated right now, Paul. And they have the potential to become even more complicated down the line, but I want you to know that nothing you do will ever make me love you less."

"Why does everyone keep saying it's complicated!?" He nearly cried, the tremors returning with a vengeance. "I'm sick of people talking behind my back! I'm sick of being treated like I'm not wanted anywhere – even by my own fucking family! The one person that wasn't like them – the _one_ fucking person that saw any value in me won't even talk to me anymore and no one will even tell me why!" He wanted to say more, but his voice grew shaky as Jackie took one step back, and then two.

It felt like his blood was boiling in his veins – like every atom in his body was speeding up simultaneously. It felt like standing in fire with cement around his ankles. A deep growl echoed in Paul's mind, but he didn't have enough sense at the moment to understand that it was coming from him. As Jackie reached the porch, Paul's anger reached a boiling point. The pain was instant, and gone just as quick. Panic ripped through Paul as everything seemed to change around him. His vision was sharper, and he could _smell_ Jackie's fear. He was growling – he realized with a start. Before Paul could dwell on the thought, he was tackled from the side, his body hitting the ground with a near thunderous boom.

There was no logic or reason anymore, only pure instinct as Paul turned his head, grabbing a mouthful of brown fur. The wolf yelped as it jumped up, standing between Paul and Jackie. _'It's me, Paul!'_ Jared's voice echoed within Paul's mind.

Paul whimpered as he looked around, his heart racing. What was happening to him? Why was he a fucking wolf!? _'Jared?'_ Paul thought, another whine sliding past his lips.

 _'It's going to be okay, Paul.'_ Another, unfamiliar voice joined the first. _'It's me, Sam.'_

 _'Jared?'_ Paul looked to the big brown wolf who lowered himself to the ground, trying everything he could to not look threatening. The only reason Paul knew that was what he was doing was because he could _hear_ it. _'What's happening? Why can I hear you in my mind? Why am I a wolf?'_ Paul's ears flattened against his head as Jared crept forward, nearly crawling.

 _'He's dangerous, Jared!'_ Sam's warning caused a growl to bubble in Paul's chest. He could _see_ that Sam was running beside the beach, which meant he would be there soon.

 _'He won't hurt me, Sam.'_ Jared chastised as he reached Paul. Standing slowly, he rubbed his head against Paul's, licking his muzzle as he whimpered. _'It's okay, Paul. It's going to be okay…'_

It ended up taking two hours for Paul to calm down enough to phase back, and another hour after that for Sam to explain that all the legends were true. After the first twenty minutes, Jared went to 'patrol' which left Paul sitting alone with Sam in his tiny kitchen. Luckily, Emily had already gone to bed. The last thing Paul wanted was another person watching him like he would explode at any minute. Then again, he _might_.

"So Jackie knew?" Paul asked, wincing as the tattoo gun moved over his arm. Apparently, this was the pack's symbol. It let the people of the reservation know who they were, and that they were there to protect the tribe.

"The elders know everything – at least we try to." Sam explained, his hardened face softening some. Sam's father had died the year prior, which meant that Sam was an elder too. Paul's father would have been, but since he died, that left Holly on the council, not that she was around enough to actually know that. "The more we know, the more we can protect people." He explained, though it sounded like the words weighed on him. Sam wasn't much older than Jared or Paul, but he had the safety of the entire tribe on his shoulders.

"Sam… you said you can alpha order us, right? And even if we wanted to disobey, we couldn't." The machine paused as Sam's questioning eyes moved to Paul's face. "Could you… could you alpha order me to not think of anything that happened before the phase while I'm a wolf?"

The legends were something Paul had grown up hearing. Hell, there was still a whole class for it in middle school, but one new bit of information came from Sam himself. Imprints. It was why Jared had pulled back – it was why he said that it would only hurt them in the long run. Even if there was a slight chance, they had to be careful. What if they had continued down the path they were on and one of them was to imprint? Sure, it was supposed to be rare, but now that they shared their minds with Sam, their secret wouldn't be kept anymore. It wasn't something that Paul wanted to think about at length. He would have his best friend back… and that would have to be enough.

"If that's what you want, Paul." Sam leaned back in his chair, the tattoo on Paul's bicep already healed. "Paul, as your alpha, I order you to never think of anything before your first phase while you're in your wolf form." The air around Paul seemed to tingle before settling in his skin. Sam watched him for a long moment, much like he had before any of this happened. "Paul… I don't want to pry, but you should know that this pack… we're family. There will be times that our lives will depend on each other. I will never judge you." Paul shouldn't have been surprised that Sam also seemed to know. After all, he was part of the council, and he had nearly two weeks to poke around inside Jared's mind. At the very least, his words seemed sincere. "You don't have to talk to me about it, but if you ever want to… we're brothers. I won't think any differently of you." He didn't wait for an answer, slapping Paul on the shoulder once before standing to clean up.

Sam headed to bed since he was going to take the shift after Jared, but invited Paul to stay as long as he liked. Paul felt out of place in the unfamiliar home, so chose to spend the night sitting on the stairs of Sam's porch instead. Normally, it would seem like a quiet night, but thanks to Paul's new enhanced senses, he could hear every little bug in a mile radius. It would have been deafening if he hadn't learned to tune out annoying noises a long time ago. His eyes stared into the darkness of the forest, which was practically as clear as it was during the day thanks to his new wolf vision. But he didn't really see any of it. He was too busy thinking about everything he had just learned. He thought about imprints and the fact that every time his anger got the best of him, he would turn into a giant wolf. He thought about the fact that the Cullen's were vampires, and that thanks to this new _gift_ , he would never leave the reservation. He thought mostly about Jared. About how different things would have been for them if not for this stupid gene. By the time he had circled back around to imprinting, the sun was beginning to rise, and Jared was trotting out of the woods in nothing but a pair of cut-offs.

"Did you get any sleep?" He asked with a small smile, looking pretty rundown himself. He would still have a full day at school. Paul on the other hand was exhaled from most human interaction until his temper leveled out. Knowing Paul, that could take a while.

Paul shrugged as Jared sat beside him. "I forgot." He offered simply. It would do Jared no good to know that he hadn't gotten a decent night sleep in weeks.

"Look man…" Jared sighed, turning his gaze to Paul. "Are we… are we okay?"

Paul snorted, punching Jared in the shoulder as the sounds of Emily moving in the kitchen reached his ears. "Of course we are, Cameron. You're not getting rid of me that easily." He smirked as Jared's familiar smile lit up his face. Maybe if Paul pretended long enough, he would start to believe that friendship would be enough.

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 **AN:** I know this chapter was a little all over the place, but I really wanted to get the beginnings of the pack established so I could get into the bulk of the story. The chapters thus far have been more or less establishing chapters.

Special thanks to my readers/reviewers!

Maxsmomma – I'm so glad you're getting that vibe! It's rare for me to write characters that lure _me_ in. It's hard for me to even walk away from writing them! Every once in a while, I get these characters that just write themselves, and that's totally the case with Paul and Jared. I feel like they're just living their lives and I'm just writing what I see! lol


	7. Chapter Six

AN: If you guys are interested, the scene towards the end of this chapter is what made me pick Marshmello ft. Bastille - Happier as the theme song for this fic, so it makes awesome background music to this chapter :D

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Chapter Six

 _Imprint_

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Jared was sure that he had done the right thing. So what if he still thought about his best friend when he was lying in bed alone? So what if Paul's scent had become near intoxicating after the shift? So what if despite his words, the lingering looks were still there… So what if he was completely in love with Paul Lahote? Jared didn't have much experience with love. It seemed like more of a thing women were into. Sure, he loved his mother, and on some level, had always loved Paul as a brother, but this was… this was _painful_. It was like every fiber of his being was drawing him to Paul. It wasn't an imprint – Jared wasn't that lucky. He had hoped for it, if only secretly. However, when Jared looked into Paul's eyes that day in the locker room, all he saw was the pain and confusion _he_ had caused. It was terrifying to think that one day either of them could imprint and that would all be ripped away. As horrible as the pain was at times, it was the only thing remaining that proved to Jared that it was real… that _they_ had been real.

He asked Sam to order him not to think of it when phased. He complied, but not without sighing and muttering something about stubborn wolves. They did their best to not let what had happened change them. They played video games and joked around, but there was always an underlying sadness. It became easier when Embry joined the pack, and easier still when Jacob and Quil followed soon after. It was like having several buffers between them. Jared took solace in knowing that none of the younger pack members suspected anything. It gave him the strength to keep it together.

He pretended to rip on Paul about all the women he's slept with, along with the guys. 'The man whore of La Push'. Just like Paul pretended to enjoy the title, despite the fact that Jared was sure it was too close of a comparison to his father than Paul would have liked. He pretended to not be bothered when Paul showed up to patrol dead on his feet, smelling of rose perfume and sex. He pretended to be tired so he could leave Sam's early that day. And he pretended he wasn't crying as his mother held him in the safety of his bedroom that still carried Paul's scent.

Over the months that followed, they fell into a routine. They were never the only two in a room, and there were no more sleepovers unless they both just happened to pass out at Sam's. There were no more unnecessary touches, and the lingering looks had stopped. It was easier – Jared realized – if he just avoided looking at Paul all together. Paul ran night patrols – he had volunteered for them. Jared suspected it was so that they were never actually running at the same time. Sam worried about them. He could hear it in his alpha's mind when it was just the two of them that ran. Paul had lost weight and was always angry. Jared hardly slept and had failed one of his finals – which meant he'd have to make up the class over the summer.

It was on the first day of summer school that things began to look up for Jared. He hadn't thought anything of it when Kim had asked to borrow a pencil. He knew her, of course – well, he knew _of_ her. She had always just kind of been there. It wasn't until after his shift that he heard the way she giggled his name and stared at the side of his head when she didn't think he was looking. She was sweet and shy, so he never acknowledged it, not wanting to embarrass her. It wasn't until he handed her a pencil that he caught her eyes for the first time… and everything shifted.

The others congratulated him on his imprint. Emily squealed and demanded Kim be brought by as soon as possible. Paul… Paul mumbled something about patrol and hardly made it to the grass before ripping out of his clothes. Only Jared and Sam seemed to notice. Per Emily's request, Jared brought Kim by, effectively driving the wedge between him and Paul even deeper. When Jared told Kim the truth, she took it in stride, going as far as to kiss Jared without warning. It should have been amazing – she was his soulmate… But if that was the case, why did it feel wrong?

It terrified Jared to think that something was wrong with him on a fundamental level. He already turned into a giant wolf, he didn't need to be a broken one on top of that. He saw in Sam's mind how he constantly thought of Emily. He would do anything for her. Although Jared loved Kim, it wasn't in the way Sam loved Emily. He loved Kim like she was his best friend. He loved her in a way that indescribable. But in the back of his mind, Jared knew that he was still very much _in_ love with Paul… and that terrified him. It terrified him so much, he played the part he was supposed to. He took Kim on dates and allowed her to sit on his lap. He kissed her goodnight when he walked her home and introduced her to his mother. He did everything but love her the way he was supposed to.

This went on for a month before Jared's guilt started to weigh on him. "My imprint is broken." He spoke to Sam in a hushed voice. It was the first time he had gotten his alpha alone in weeks.

Sam paused, brow furrowing as he looked up from one of his car magazines. "What do you mean your imprint is broken? Did something happen to Kim?" He could hear the edge in Sam's voice. Imprints were, after all, part of the pack.

"No, Kim is fine, it's me." Jared took a deep breath. How much longer could he pretend? Kim was already talking about giving Jared her virginity, and he couldn't do it – not when he was lying to everyone. "Sam… I… I'm not in love with Kim." He breathed, watching the shock play out over his alpha's face. "I tried to be, and I _do_ love her. But it's not like you and Em. I don't feel pain when I'm away from her… I don't feel the need to protect her from any guy that looks at her… I just… I'm still in love with Paul." It was the first time Jared had said those words out loud. He expected it to be a load off, but it wasn't, not when he and his best friend hardly talked anymore.

Sam's eyes shifted to the door as the sounds of Embry and Quil approaching reached their ears. "Just… keep this to yourself for now. We'll talk to the council later this week. I don't want the rest of the guys feeling like they have a say in any of this."

So when everyone joined at Sam's for dinner, Jared slipped back into pretending. He held Kim on his lap, telling her how pretty her skin looked when she wore pink. It was after all, the truth. Her giggle was short-lived, dropping as the back door slammed behind Paul. Frowning, Kim turned to look at Jared. "He doesn't like me, does he?" Her voice was small, and it hurt Jared to know that she was upset. Because at the end of the day, she was still his imprint.

"I'll talk to him." Jared gave her a squeeze, kissing her temple before following the path Paul had taken. He didn't have to go far, finding a tense Paul pacing just inside the tree line. "Yo, man!" Jared called, jogging the few steps between them to close the gap. "You alright? You seem off." Paul's temper had always been a problem, but lately it had been even worse.

"I'm fine." Paul's voice rumbled out in a growl. It would have bothered Jared if he wasn't so used to it at this point. He missed the days when they could just talk. He missed the way Paul would whisper his name in a tone reserved just for him. "Just go back to your perfect-fucking-imprint."

Annoyance flooded Jared as he frowned. It was no secret that the others – excluding Sam – were not fans of imprinting. Jared wasn't too thrilled about it, himself, but Kim was upset, and despite everything, Jared wanted to protect her. "Dude, what do you have against Kim? She's like the sweetest girl ever. She knows you don't like her and it upsets her. That's not cool, man." He frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Did I do something to piss you off?"

Paul's laugh was short and cold as his onyx eyes caught Jared's. "No. Of course not. I probably just made the whole fucking thing up!"

 _Made wh- oh…_ With a shaky breath, Jared's arms fell to his side. He thought that Paul had moved on. He had been sleeping with a new woman every week. As horrible as it was, Jared found himself happy that Paul was upset over the imprint. It meant that a part of him – no matter how small – still felt the same way. "Paul… you know I… I didn't have any control over the imprint. If I hadn't… I don't know, man… maybe things would have been like they were before, but we never really talked about it, you know? We _avoided_ talking about it." Even if Kim hadn't come along, would anything be different between them? Paul was always too afraid of what people would think, and Jared was always scared to push Paul too far and lose him forever… maybe that happened anyway.

"What was I supposed to say, Jare?" The familiar nickname sent chills down Jared's spine. He hadn't heard it in months. "We live on a reservation where everyone knows who we are! Do you think they would still see us as heroes is they knew we-" Jared's frown deepened as Paul's face scrunched. Even now, when it was just the two of them, he couldn't admit it out loud. "Just go back to your perfect Kim."

"That's your problem, Paul!" Jared nearly exploded, taking a step forward despite the shaking in Paul's shoulders. "You can't even say it!" He matched Paul's intense gaze, nearly growling when Paul looked away – ashamed. "Say it, Paul! Gay! We-" he gestured between them "- were gay – _are_ gay! Shit, I don't know anymore!" Taking a deep breath, Jared tilted his head back to look upwards as his father's words rang in his mind. _Real men don't cry for shit_. "My imprint isn't perfect. I love Kim, it's true. I love her _because_ of the imprint. I love her in a way that's indescribable, but I'm _in_ love with you, Paul." The words – those heavy words he had held onto for nearly a year now tumbled past his lips as he met Paul's eyes. The shock there was nearly as powerful as something Jared could only identify as hope. "I was then, and I am now. I don't know what to do about it…" Jared's tone wavered as the weight of his internal battle bubbled to the surface. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Did he follow his heart and hurt his imprint? Did he lie by pretending to be in love with Kim, and hurt the one person he had ever truly loved? It wasn't until Paul's arms were around him, his strong shoulder pressing into Jared's cheek that he realized he was near tears.

"I still love you…" Paul's words were lower than a whisper. Jared was sure that if he wasn't a wolf, he wouldn't have heard them at all. Despite knowing that this would just complicate things further, Jared's arms tightened around Paul's middle. He _hadn't_ imagined the whole thing. Paul had felt just as strongly. It was the first time Jared had any real confirmation of how Paul truly felt. The man was like an emotional vault. "But you imprinted… She's the best option for you." Jared expected Paul's words. They were, after all, what he had been telling himself for months.

"I would have chosen you." The words were past Jared's lips before he could stop them. They both stood in the silence under the weight of them. According to the stories, Jared shouldn't have even be able to _think_ such a thing about his imprint, nonetheless say it. Even when Quil imprinted on Claire, he never said a bad thing about it. "If I could undo it, I would. I love Kim, but I'll never really love her the way I love you." Pulling back, Jared looked into Paul's eyes, wanting to see them up close again. He missed the way it felt to just… _be_ with each other.

"Me too." Paul responded in a whisper as he caught Jared's face, his thumb running over his cheek. Jared's eyes closed as he leaned into the familiar touch that still managed to send sparks throughout his body. How could this ever be wrong? How could they ever find anything more than this? "I would have put up with it all. I would have told the council to go fuck themselves. Shit, I would have moved off the rez if that's what it took…" The idea was inconceivable now. But in another life, they would be on the beach in California. "But you imprinted on Kim." Jared's eyes opened slowly as Paul's forehead came to rest on his own. "And maybe one day I'll imprint too and we can forget-"

"I don't want to forget, Paul." Jared cut him off with a slight growl. He was tired of running and pretending. He was tired of hurting when here, in Paul's arms, he felt more content than he ever had. Before he could think better of it, Jared tilted his chin to catch Paul's lips. The kiss was slow, and tender, and everything Jared had been wanting. Kissing Paul was like finding the other half of himself. He _did_ love Kim, but he couldn't pretend anymore that she was the one he was supposed to be with. Not when every fiber of his being told him that it was Paul. It had always been Paul. "I couldn't ever forget you…"

Paul said nothing as he walked them backwards quickly until Jared was pressed between him and a nearby tree. "I meant what I said – on that message the day I saw you after your shift. We can figure out something." Paul's voice was a whisper as his lips brushed Jared's with every word. Jared knew the message Paul was talking about. He had listened to it a hundred times. Even now, it was saved to his phone for those nights he _really_ missed Paul. "If that's what you want…" He pulled back just far enough to catch Jared's gaze. "Shit Jare, I'll tell the whole fucking world if that's what it takes."

"I can't lie to Kim anymore…" Jared breathed as his hands moved over Paul's chest before threading in his hair. "I love her like she's family, and it's not fair to pretend that I want to be with her." He hissed as Paul pressed their bodies closer together still, his lips moving over Jared's neck. "It's not going to- to be easy. I have to talk to the eld-" Jared's train of thought derailed as Paul's hot tongue moved over his flesh.

"We'll keep this a secret until then." Paul breathed. Jared was terrified for the pack to find out, and he knew the locals would tear them apart, but there was no possible way it could be worse than pretending that he didn't love his best friend. "Just like the old days."

"Really you two?" Sam's voice cut through the lust-driven haze that seemed to surround them. Paul pulled back, allowing Jared a clear view of his alpha. Sam didn't look angry or uncomfortable, he just looked like a parent chastising a couple of teens. "You're lucky I talked Kim out of coming out here herself." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm not going to tell you two what to do, and I don't fully understand how you're even able to go against your imprint like this, but I suggest you two keep it to yourselves until we can talk to the council."

"That's the plan, Sammy." Paul smirked as he turned fully, leaving Jared feeling very exposed suddenly. "But just so we're clear," his face grew serious as he looked back to Jared "I'm not ashamed of shit anymore." Grasping Jared's chin, Paul pulled his lips forward in a searing kiss. It was only when Sam cleared his throat that Paul pulled back with a crooked smile. "I'm starving. Think dinner's ready yet?"

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 **AN:** Okay, so this should be the last chapter with a large time skip. In this chapter, we circled around to the oneshot that inspired the story, just from a different pov, which was where I really wanted to get to since writing it. Now, the real story begins lol. You guys seriously have no idea how many times I stop writing and just go 'meh heart'. Seriously, I have no control over these characters lol. It tears me apart just as much as you guys. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that this _will_ end happily.

As always, special thank you to those of you that took the time to review! YaleAceBella12 & CowgirlKelly – thank you so much for reading/reviewing/enjoying :D

Ana Quinzel – You have no idea how much that means to me! I've always been 'sexually fluid', basically, if you're hot, you're hot, but since I'm married to a man and we're monogamous, I just say straight lol. I got the idea of Paul/Jared in my head one day because of the way their friendship is always described as super close, but all the fics I found were essentially just one-off smut pieces. I think the greatest love stories are the ones that have to be earned. I mean sure, bits and pieces are a little exaggerated, but living in a small community like a reservation would certainly have its own set of challenges. /long winded explanation no one asked for.

Basically, thanks so much! lol


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

 _The Council_

* * *

Paul was rarely nervous. After finding out he could turn into a giant wolf, there wasn't much else to fear. But as he joined Jared and Sam at the impromptu council meeting that had been called, Paul felt his stomach clench. Sure, it was easy to say that he wasn't afraid of what people thought, but that fear would always be there. It wasn't like he and Jared could just leave if things went south either. It was all… complicated. He nearly snorted as he remembered that was what everyone had been saying to him only months ago. Sam made sure to put a gag order on Paul and Jared's minds when phased, so they would at least have some privacy from the pack. Ideally, Paul would have preferred to tell them over the council. After all, he had shit on all of them. Like Quil dressing up to have Claire's weekly tea party, or the way Jacob practically pitched a tent whenever Bella Swan decided he was good enough to hang out with. Then there was the whole deal with Embry's illegitimate conception. They still weren't sure who his father was. Of course, these weren't things that Paul would needlessly bring up, and he hoped that he wouldn't have to.

"I'm glad you called us, Sam." Harry Clearwater nodded a hello at the trio before taking a seat. The entire council sat around Billy Black's table, all of them eyeing Paul and Jared like they would fuck right on the spot. It was probably a good thing that Sam gave them a heads up, because Paul could already feel his temper rising. As they took their seats, Jared's hand found Paul's under the table.

"It's an unusual situation…" Billy broached carefully. It was easy to see that he didn't want to offend the volatile wolf that sat across from him. "Since none of our ancestors were… of that persuasion, it's hard to find any documented history that could help us."

"Perhaps we're reading too much into this." Harry Clearwater offered as he gestured towards the pair. "Maybe it's _because_ of the shift. These boys are together days and nights. They're literally in each other's heads. That kind of closeness can easily be misinterpreted." He shrugged as Paul's eyes narrowed.

"We were fucking before we phased." He bit out.

"Paul!" Jackie and Jared chorused in unison, Sam simply dropping his head to his hands.

"Seriously, dude?" Jared sighed and gave him a pointed look as Jackie shook her head. "My mom's _right_ here. You couldn't have just said that this started before that?"

Paul shrugged as he leaned back in his chair, his hand tightening around Jared's. "They're the ones that want to play this off like it's all in our heads." Old Quil simply tisked and lit his trusty pipe. "I love Jared. And he loves me, despite the imprint. That should say enough."

"We're not doubting your feelings, dear." Jackie smiled softly at the pair as she laid her hand over Jared's free one. "We're just trying to find out how your feelings are strong enough to overcome an imprint."

"I think the problem is that we're romanticizing this whole thing." Old Quil finally spoke through a puff of smoke. "It's always been a problem with the wolves in our tribe. We read the soulmates part and disregard the entire entry about how imprints are the best candidates to pass down the gene." He shrugged as Sam frowned.

"So you're saying that the imprint is nothing more than that? It's easy for you to say, you haven't felt it." It was easy to see that Sam was taking this whole thing personally. After all, if that was the truth, that made his betrayal of Leah Clearwater all the worse.

"Calm down, son. We know you love Emily." Harry offered up. "I know how much you cared for Leah, and you wouldn't have left her if not for the imprint."

"It's primal." Old Quil waved off again. "The need to reproduce, to carry on the gene. It's as wild as the wolves themselves."

"Tread carefully, Quil." Billy sighed with a shake of his head. "The old stories, the way Sam is with Emily – what else could explain it but love?"

"Hormones." Old Quil seemed unbothered as he leaned back in his chair indifferently. Paul snorted once, but earned an elbow in the side from Jared and a cross look from Jackie. "The old tribe members were younger than Sam, as are all the other members of this pack. You take a bunch of teenaged boys and point them at a girl that their wolf wants to reproduce with – what else do you expect? The imprint is the wolf's mate, but we put so much pressure on these young men, we forget that most of them are still in high school."

"I tried to fight the imprint." Sam justified. "I fought for nearly a month, and it almost killed me and Em both."

"Yeah, but you're not queer." Old Quil's eyes slid to the boys. "No offense, but let's call a duck a duck. You two were together before the shift. Obviously, Paul has something that Kim doesn't. the wolf wants Kim as a mate, but the man has already made his decision. The passages say that a wolf will be whatever an imprint needs. Kim might think she's in love with Jared, but she doesn't _need_ a mate that's in love with another man, now does she? That leaves friend or brother."

"So you're saying Jared is stronger than his wolf?" Jackie asked, the unmistakable twinkle of pride in her eyes.

"I'm saying that it wouldn't be good for the wolf or the imprint for Jared to lie to her." Tapping out the ashes of his pipe on the table top, and earning a glare from Billy in the process, Old Quil settled in. "I spoke my peace, but I don't know any more than you lot do."

"I just don't think it's right." Harry cut in, raising his hands in defense. "I said it – we were all thinkin' it. As an elder of this tribe and man of God, I cannot condone spiting on the great spirits by refusing the gift of an imprint."

"So it would be better to lie to the poor girl?" Jackie turned in her seat, full on mama-bear mode as Jared's hand tightened on Paul's. He hadn't realized he was shaking until that moment. "I don't care if my son is gay, straight, or anything in between! He and Paul put their lives on the lines to keep our tribe safe! I think supporting them in wanting to be with each other is the least we can do! They'll get enough backlash from the idiotic masses that don't understand their sacrifice. We don't need to pile on."

"Relax, Jackie." Billy patted her arm. "No matter what Harry thinks, he doesn't speak for the council. And let's face it, there is nothing we can do to stop these two from being together if that's what they want. As for Kim…" He looked to Jared. "I'm afraid that's your cross to bear either way."

"I might not support it, but like Billy said, I sure as hell can't stop it." Harry offered up as his eyes landed on Jared. "But I'm sure you know Kim's father left their family a few days ago." Paul watched Jared's face twist in pain and disgust. The same thing had happened to Jared when he was only ten. "On top of that, her grandmother is ill. Perhaps now is not the best time to break the news to her."

"On this, I do agree with Harry." Old Quil nodded. "Besides, it will buy us some time to go back through the records of the last pack. Given that it was before the area around our land was sieged, I'm sure it was more common than we think."

They were all far more tense leaving the meeting than they were going into it. Sam was quiet as he no doubt contemplated what it meant if the imprint was only for reproduction. Paul was working on keeping his anger in check so he wouldn't tear up Sam's truck, and Jared was trying to figure out the best way to be with Kim, but keep her at a distance so that it wouldn't hurt more in the end. "Paul, you're on patrol. Jared, you should go check on Kim. I'm sure she's been calling around looking for you." Sam's voice was distant as he pulled up in front of his house. The others could be heard inside, completely unaware of the internal torment the three eldest pack members were going through.

Exiting the truck, Paul caught Jared's arm before he could get too far. He knew the others would come outside to greet them soon, so he spoke quickly. "I'm only patrolling until ten. Come by my place after?" He asked, hopeful that they could have a minute alone.

Glancing around quickly, Jared pressed his lips to Paul's. "I'll be there when you get done." He promised before jogging into the woods just as the others emerged from the house.

"Where is Jared going?" Quil frowned as he chewed on a chicken leg, tossing an extra one to Paul.

"To check on Kim." He mumbled as he took a bite. The council meeting meant skipping lunch, and now he had to run a five hour patrol. Paul tried not to be jealous of Kim. It wasn't her fault after all... but it was hard to not envy her.

"Poor Kim." Embry frowned as he leaned against Sam's truck.

"Poor Jared." Quil added. "I couldn't imagine if Claire was hurting and there was nothing I could do to help."

Humming, Paul tossed the bare chicken leg into the bushes before stepping out of his shorts. They stopped caring about nudity a long time ago. It was simply an unspoken rule to keep your eyes to yourself. "I've got patrol. Make sure you're there to take over at ten, Jacob." He instructed before stepping away from Sam's truck, exploding in a flurry of silver fur.

Patrolling wasn't ever anything special to Paul. The younger pack members liked feeling like they were useful, but in all honesty, it was just them running in circles picking up on the Cullen's scents. They were always faint since the Cullen's honored the treaty, which left them simply running in circles. It wasn't so bad when Paul was alone, it gave him some peace and quiet. At least as a wolf, his temper was more in check. It wasn't like he could lose it and explode into an _even bigger_ wolf. Most of his solo patrols were spent day dreaming, unless he accidentally fell asleep. Then it was just dreaming.

 _'Hey man, it's time for the shift change.'_ Jacob's voice was dull, even in his mind. Paul could see that he had just talked to Sam about Bella Swan. Apparently, Jacob wanted to pursue her even though she wasn't his imprint. Given her tie with the Cullen's, Sam thought it would just cause more trouble.

 _'Fuck that!'_ Paul growled, giving Jacob's mental pity party pause. _'So what if she's not your fucking imprint? People have been falling in love and getting together without imprints since – forever! I say fuck Sam and go for it, dude.'_ Paul wasn't usually the supportive type, especially when it came to the leech lover, but this one hit close to home.

 _'Wow, Paul… that's very… understanding of you.'_ Jacob sounded skeptical. Paul couldn't fault him, he would be too. _'What did you mean when you thought it hits close to home?'_

Paul's mind hit a block as he tried to think of Jared – silently, he thanked Sam for his gag order. _'It's complicated…'_ He echoed the rez's favorite phrase as he started moving towards his house. _'Let's just say, I get it.'_

Jacob was quiet for a long time, his mind a flurry of thoughts about who this girl could be. After all, the pack only really hang out together. _'Shit, dude… it's not Kim is it?'_

Paul snorted, blowing the grass under his feet flat. That would almost have been an easier explanation. _'Something like that… Let's just keep this between us, okay?'_

 _'Sure sure.'_ He could almost see Jacob roll his eyes. _'As long as you don't tell Sam I'm going to see Bella tomorrow.'_

Paul hummed in agreement before shifting back, slipping on his cut-offs as he stepped into his back yard. He could hear Jared moving around inside, his scent clinging to the grass and walls. It was something Paul could get used to – not that he would talk about that tonight. They had a long way to go before they moved in together. Well, maybe not a _long_ way. Jared had practically lived there before the shift. Stepping through the back door and into the kitchen, Paul paused at the scent of meat filling the house. The sink was overflowing with dishes, and Paul was eighty percent sure that there was gravy on the ceiling, but it was the first time his house ever felt like an actual home.

"I tried to make us something for dinner." Jared offered sheepishly as he entered the kitchen.

"You cooked me dinner?" Paul's brows rose as he watched the light blush spread over Jared's dark cheeks. No one but Jackie or Emily had ever cooked Paul anything.

"I _tried_." Jared looked anywhere but at Paul, trying to keep his composure. "Burned the shit out of it. Don't blame me if it tastes like charcoal. Those online recipes are shit." He shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.

Smiling lightly, Paul moved to Jared, catching his face with one large hand. Bending slightly, Paul brushed his lips against Jared's. "Thanks, babe." His smile stretched as Jared's heart rate picked up.

Jared mumbled something about only thanking him if it didn't kill them both before leading Paul into the dining room. The steak – at least Paul assumed it was steak – was completely black, and the potatoes looked near raw, but even if it tasted as bad as it looked, it would be Paul's favorite meal.

"Smells good." He offered as he took a seat, pulling Jared down in his lap before he could get far. "Where did you get the steaks?"

"Stole them from my mom's freezer." Jared smiled as Paul reached around him to cut off a corner of the steak. Despite being burned on the outside, the inside was rare. He popped the piece in his mouth, chewing slowly and marveling at the fact that the inside was ice cold. "How bad is it?" Jared's nose crinkled in the middle as he fought back a laugh.

"It's not bad." Pail lied, taking another bite. "By the way, Jacob thinks I'm in love with Kim."

Jared blinked, his brows knitting in confusion as he looked down at Paul. "How exact- what?" He stuttered out as he tried to process the information.

"Long story. Just don't be surprised if the guys start acting weird around you." Paul smiled as he took a bite of the potatoes, working to control the grimace that almost took over his face. Why were they _sour_?

Jared sighed and shook his head. "I guess we'll have to get used to people treating us weird. Imagine the looks on their faces when I call you my boyfr-" He cut himself off, face going hard as Paul froze.

"Were you going to say that I'm your boyfriend?" Paul asked as he placed his fork down. It was odd – a good odd, but odd nonetheless. Paul had hardly ever been a boyfriend, and certainly not to another guy.

"I-I mean, we. We're kind of dating – I'm not really sure if there's a term for-" He growled as Paul's body started shaking with laughter under him. "Shut the fuck up and eat your shitty steak."

"It's the best steak I've ever had." Paul quipped, his arms wrapping around Jared to hold him in place as he tried to squirm away. "My _boyfriend_ made it for me." He laughed as Jared groaned. "Seriously, babe. I like it. The steak and the title." Paul cooed as he brushed his lips against Jared's. "But what the fuck did you put in those potatoes?"

* * *

 **AN:** How cute is it when someone that can't cook tries to because they want to do something special for someone they love? After all the tension, I wanted a little break of fluff. I adore Old Quil. I hadn't planned on writing him that way, but I'm so happy with how he came out!

As always, a super big thank you to Maxsmomma and YaleAceBella12 for reviewing! You guys rock!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

 _Jacob_

* * *

Paul hadn't realized how much he had missed waking up beside Jared until morning came. The heat was sweltering despite the rain that pelted the window. Paul had gotten rid of his blanket right after the first phase, but with he and Jared in the tiny room, it was like a sauna. "This was a lot cooler before." Jared mumbled into the pillow as Paul buried his nose into the younger wolf's neck. Jared's scent was unlike anything Paul had ever smelled before. It was intoxicating – even to Paul's wolf. "Paul, get off! It's too fucking hot!"

"I remember you saying something like that last night." Paul purred, smirking as Jared groaned. He wasn't sure if it was because of the bad joke or the way Paul pressed his body into him.

"You're a fucking moron." Jared sighed, but when he rolled over to push Paul on his back and straddle his thin waist, he was smiling. "You're lucky I love you despite that." His smile widened as he placed his hands on Paul's chest, grinding their dicks together deliciously.

"Shit, Jare…" Paul moaned as his hands caught Jared's hips, pulling him down harder. "Do that again, baby." His eyes rolled closed as Jared complied. "If you don't stop teasing me, I'm gonna have to claim that ass again and teach you who it belongs t-"

"Holy shit!" The curse jarred the two men in the bed, causing them to bolt apart, a growl on each of their lips. As Paul's wolf settled and the man had chance to gauge the situation, he felt his mouth grow dry. A very wide-eyed, very traumatized Jacob Black stood in the doorway of Paul's bedroom. "I- I should have knocked. S-Sam… Sam wanted to- shit, I didn't know people spoke like that outside of porn – I just… I should have knocked…"

"Breathe, man." Jared frowned as he slowly got out of bed. Luckily, the boys had put on pants before bed, or Jacob would have gotten even more of a show. "It's okay… don't freak out." Jared offered cautiously as he approached Jacob whose eyes were moving quickly between the pair.

"You two were… you were going to –" He stuttered out as Paul's jaw tightened.

"Fuck?" Paul offered, ignoring the glare Jared sent his way before looking back to Jacob. "What? What do you want me to call it? _Making_ _love_?" The words sounded as foreign as they felt on his lips, and elected a gagging sound at the end.

"Just… sit down, Jake." Jared took a step back, allowing Jacob a wide berth into the room. "We'll explain."

"There's nothing to explain." Paul sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Jared and I are together. We have been for a long time."

Jacob took a tentative step into the room but didn't sit. "So last night, when you said you understood… you were talking about Jared?" Jacob's brows knit together as he looked to Jared. "How is this possible?"

"What, do you want the play by play?" That earned Paul a glare from both boys.

"Obviously I don't mean that, asshole. I can figure that much out on my own. I mean how is it possible that you two are _together_ – when he imprinted on Kim?" It was nice to see that Jacob was slowly coming out of his stupor.

"We were together before that. The imprint… it isn't like Sam and Emily's. We're working on figuring all this out, but right now… you can't tell anyone, Jake." Jared urged. "Sam and the elders know, but Quil and Embry don't. Not to mention the rest of the rez. We don't want Kim finding out before I can talk to her, and the more people that know, the harder it will be. We both know that if Emily found out, she would tell Kim in a heartbeat."

"Kim doesn't know?" Jacob seemed uncomfortable. "I'm shit at keeping secrets, guys! And it's not like I can just _not_ think about this when I phase. Shit, I don't _want_ think about it, but this image is going to be burned into my mind." His face twisted as he gestured between the two. "How have you hidden it this long? I didn't even know you were gay!"

"Sam forbid us from thinking of it while phased. He can do the same thing for you." Jared offered, far more patient than Paul who was now emitting a low, constant growl.

"It's not like I was going around screwing all the men on the reservation." Paul barked out. "Jared is… different. It's not like we're together _because_ he's a guy, we're together because he's Jared." For only a moment, Jared's face softened at Paul's words.

"You guys are asking a lot of me." Jacob groaned. "I don't know how I'm going to keep this to myself."

"How about this. You keep our secret, and I'll make sure you get the chance to go see Bella on her birthday. You were supposed to have patrol that morning, right? Sam's idea? I'll pull a double." Jared offered. Immediately, Paul could see the temptation in his eyes.

"I'll try, okay? I'm not promising anything, but I'll try." He conceded after a long pause. Looking to Jared, Jacob's eyes narrowed. "So… does that mean you're the girl?"

Jared only just managed to drag Jacob out the back door before phasing and tearing into him. Standing on the porch, Paul watched the pair with bored eyes. This was just the tip of the iceberg.

Paul laughed as Embry kicked Jared's ass in another round of HALO. "You think you would just give up, Jare." He barked as he hopped over the couch, sitting on the other side of Embry. "How are you so bad at this? We've been playing for years!"

"Maybe I'm just good!" Embry was caught between laughing and wanting to look offended. Everyone knew that Jared and Quil were the worst at HALO, so they usually divided them amongst the teams.

"I think you did good, Jared." Kim smiled from her perch on the arm of the couch as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "Just because Embry won doesn't mean you're bad. He just played better."

"That's such a fucking chick thing to say." Quil laughed.

Paul's jaw tightened as he watched the way Kim practically draped herself across Jared. He didn't encourage the contact, but he didn't push her away either. Logically, Paul knew he couldn't, but that didn't make watching them any easier.

It was only when Jacob's fearful look moved from Jared to Paul that the eldest wolf turned his gaze away. "Whatever, dude. I'm still not carrying your ass in the next match." He rose a brow as Jacob started coughing, seemingly choking on air.

"Are you alright, Jacob?" Emily asked with a frown as she entered with yet another plate of cookies. That was the third one in an hour. "You didn't eat too quickly, did you?"

"Wrong pipe." Jacob managed to squeeze out between coughs, his eyes turning towards the TV. "Let's just go again."

"No way! You're on my team this time, Paul!" Quil declared, grabbing a cookie from the plate before Emily could even set it down.

"We're not switching up teams now!" Embry frowned. "Paul's on Kim's team. She doesn't know how to play, and we're not going to switch it up now. Paul can't just play for both teams!"

"Alright, I'm done." Jacob nearly shouted as he stood, tossing his controller onto the chair as Sam wrapped an arm around Emily's middle, hiding a smile as he kissed her temple. "I'm going to patrol."

"We have the night off of patrols!" Jared called, not wanting the teams to be uneven, and completely oblivious to the fact that Sam and Paul were hiding their amusement behind warm cookies.

"I don't care!" Jacob called before slamming the door behind him.

"What crawled up his ass?" Embry raised a brow before settling into the couch.

Paul rose his snout to sniff the air. There were foreign leech scents all over the woods, and it had all of the wolves on high alert. Sure, they had spared and trained, but they hadn't _actually_ had to fight one before. There were five of them now, though, so if the two scents were anything to go by, they had the upper hand. Besides, for all they knew, these leeches were friends with Bella Swan and the Cullen's. As Paul thought her name, Jacob whimpered internally. It had been months since Sam found a broken, twitching Bella on the forest floor, and she had been nearly comatose ever since. Apparently, the Cullen's skipped town and left her behind. Sure, Paul didn't understand what she saw in them, but it must have been serious for her to go catatonic.

 _'And Sam won't even let me see her.'_ Jacob added to the mix of thoughts in Paul's mind, causing the others to groan.

 _'You have got to move on, dude.'_ Quil sighed internally as ran along the lumber mill they often met at. _'You'll imprint one day and forget all about her!'_

 _'You don't know that!'_ Jacob growled before his mind seemed to hit a wall. He must have been thinking about their situation.

 _'If this was any other girl, I'd agree with you, Jake. But this chick runs with vampires! Our mortal enemy!'_ Jared barked out as Paul's wolf rolled his eyes and bumped his shoulder.

 _'Not anymore. They left her. Now is the only chance I'll have to show her how wrong she was for choosing them. But Sam's stupid alpha order is keeping me away.'_ Jacob replayed the day of the alpha order in his mind.

 _'You could always take your position as alpha. Then no one could tell you what to do.'_ Embry's quiet mind cut through the growls that the first sentence elected.

 _'Sam might be harsh, but he's doing his best. Besides, baby alpha isn't ready for that responsibility.'_

 _'Fuck you, Paul'_ Jacob bit out, but silently agreed with the older wolf.

Before anything else could be said, Sam's mind joined the pack, his distinguishable howl cutting through the air. Lifting their muzzles, the pack returned the howl before taking off to where they saw Sam. He had caught a scent near the border, as well as Bella Swan's. They rushed through the familiar forests, their paws sure underneath them. Whether or not they were ready for this, it could be the real deal. Jared and Paul reached Sam first, falling into formation at his flanks before the others showed up and followed suit. As they approached the clearing where the scent was stronger, they slowed. They needed the element of surprise if they were going to pull this off. Jacob bit back a growl as the leech stroked Bella's face.

 _'He's talking to Bella.'_ Sam thought as they stopped on the edge of the clearing, sharp eyes watching the interaction. Jacob shifted his weight at the back of the pack, eager to get to Bella. _'Hold!'_ Sam commanded, his ears twitching at the dreaded leech's words. As the tick raised his hand, Sam let out a low, dangerous growl. _'He's not her friend. Let's go!'_ His ears flattened against his head as he slowly stepped out of the woods, the pack on his heels. The vampire looked to them, shocked and fearful – it was Paul's favorite look on a leech. _'Wait until he moves away from Bella. We don't want to hurt her…'_

"I can't believe it…" The leech breathed as he looked between them. As the last of the pack stepped from the woods, the leech turned to run.

They were on his heels quickly, all but Jacob who lingered by Bella before she turned to run far away from them. Maybe the chick _did_ have some survival instincts. _'Jacob, he's swerving your way!'_ Jared's voice echoed the warning a moment too late. As the vamp lunged for Jacob, Jared jumped in front of him, whimpering as the leech connected with his left shoulder, sending several sickening snaps down Jared's arm before flinging him into a nearby tree.

 _"Jared!"_ Paul's panicked voice echoed in their minds as he turned to run to Jared, Embry and Sam catching the leech before he had a chance to run again.

Jared was human again by the time Paul reached him, crying out as he practically rolled on the ground, cradling his limp arm that was certainly _not_ supposed to bend that way. Paul shifted at his side, catching Jared's squirming form to stop him from hurting himself more. Paul was sure he had never experienced real panic before this moment. This wasn't some bite or broken nose like they got during their sparing matches. Jared's arm looked shattered, and judging from his screams, the bones were beginning to set the wrong way. It wasn't like they could just bring him to the hospital. They would have to try and fix him up on the rez and hope they weren't too late. If they didn't get his bones set correctly soon, it could permanently fuck up his arm. "Paul…" Jared whimpered as Paul held his head to his chest. "It hurts…"

"I know…" Paul's jaw tightened as the sickly-sweet smell of burning leech filled the air. "I know… it'll be okay. We'll get you back to Sam's and call your mom. She'll make it better." He hoped. Paul winced as Jared's screams echoed around them, another snap coming from his arm as it attempted to set itself. "I've got you, Jare. It'll be okay, baby. I promise." He breathed out as tears pricked his eyes. Pushing the hair back from Jared's sweat-soaked forehead, Paul placed a kiss there, keeping his lips against Jared's heated skin. He didn't care that Quil and Embry had stopped to look on, or that Sam was tearing into Jacob for not focusing. All he cared about was that Jared was in pain and that there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

* * *

 **AN:** I just wanted to say that I know a lot of the terminology during the sex scenes can be crude, but since the story is essentially told from the pov of two teenaged boys, I try to stay true to that. I know it can be cringy at times, so I apologize lol. I had a lot of fun writing the lighter parts of this chapter, and the next is going to be intense because Kim is finally going to find out (spoiler warning?) lol. We're getting into the actual Twilight plot now, but it's going to be a little different from the way SM wrote it.

I was watching BD for some wolf inspo, and I noticed that when Jacob finds out about Bella being pregnant, he howls so the rest of the pack will meet him at the lumber mill. It cuts to the pack howling back, and I noticed that Paul and Jared's wolves were together on this empty hillside and that made me happy because I officially ship them now lol.

As always, special thanks to those of you that took the time to review! They seriously mean a lot to me! YaleAceBella12 you're my MVP because you've been here since chapter one lol.

Braddox: I'm so glad you're enjoying it. As I mentioned before, I consider myself sexually fluid, but since I'm married to a man, I identify as straight. Growing up, all of my best friends were gay, and it was heartbreaking to watch their own families reject them and treat them like there was something wrong with them. It's easy to forget in modern times how some people still struggle. Although America as a whole has taken a lot of positive steps in accepting homosexuality, the individuals can still be very close-minded. For some young teens, they grow up hating themselves because of these narrow ideals.

Maxsmomma: I love Old Quil in this story. He's the embodiment of 'I'm too old for this shit'.

 **PSA:** I know this is going to seem very after school special, but if you or someone you know is having a hard time coping with their sexuality, reach out and tell someone. We've lost too many young lives to the notion that being gay is something to be ashamed of. If you're a reader of mine and need someone to talk to, my inbox is always open and I do my best to help in any way I can. If you need help right away, reach out to the GLBT National Hotline: 1 888 843 4564.

As cliché as it is, it _does_ get better. Talk to someone. Help someone. You're not alone.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

 _Kim_

* * *

There were times when Sam felt like a glorified babysitter. When Paul and Jared first phased, they had their own drama, but mostly kept it to themselves. With every phasing wolf, each one younger than the last, the pack grew rowdier. But even Quil and Embry knew better than to speak as they watched Jackie Cameron examine her son. Paul sat with his back to the arm of the couch, Jared nestled carefully between his legs so that Paul could prop him up. He had carried Jared back when he passed out from the pain, not even bothering to put on pants until they reached Sam's house. Jared had awoken in more pain than ever as Jackie arrived, tears in her eyes and her thin lips pressed in a hard line. She was trying to be professional as she poked and prodded, but winced every time Jared screamed. Despite the pain on Paul's face, he was remaining relatively composed. Which was a miracle in itself. He didn't look at anyone else but Jared as he held the other man still, pressing a kiss to his sweat-drenched temple every so often. He whispered to Jared between screams, promising him that the pain wouldn't last forever. The other boys were respectful, but Sam caught their questioning looks and uneasy expressions. Emily hung around for only a few minutes before retreating into the kitchen, claiming that she couldn't stomach it all.

Sighing, Sam moved to the kitchen where Emily sat at their usually full table alone. She held a steaming cup of tea between her hands, but didn't drink from it. She only had tea when she was trying to comfort herself. When Leah stopped talking to her, Emily made a cup every hour for a week. "Em…" Sam broached carefully as he moved behind her to place his hands on her delicate shoulders. "If this is too much for you, you should go down to the beach. You always say you don't have enough time to read anymore with feeding the pack."

"It's wrong, Sam…" She breathed in a shuttered breath as he took a seat on the bench beside her.

"Jared will be okay. I don't like these monsters any more than you do, but we're made to kill them. Jared's a little beat up, but once we get his arm set, he'll be good as new." He rubbed her back as he spoke, his hand stilling as her narrowed eyes cut to him.

"I mean _them_." She hissed in a whisper. Luckily, Jared and Paul were too preoccupied to listen in. "Jared imprinted on Kim. What they're doing – what those two _men_ are doing is – is sick!" She hissed, turning her body towards him. "Did you know about this, Sam? Is this some kind of way around the imprint? You and the pack –" She practically turned green, unable to finish her thought.

"Emily…" Sam grasped her hands. As much as he hated the implication, he couldn't bring himself to be angry with her. The imprint wouldn't allow it. "I only love _you_. I'm only with _you._ " He urged, tightening his hands around hers as her beautiful scared mouth tugged downward at the corners. "Paul and Jared… they're a special case. I mean, you saw them in there, Em. They love each other."

"That's ridiculous!" She hissed, pulling her hands from his after two tugs. "Jared should love Kim. She loves him more than anything and he's choosing to be with another man! Can you imagine how she'll react when she sees them like that!?"

"It's not their choice any more than it was ours!" Sam frowned, firm but not angry. If anyone should understand, it was Emily. How many lives did they ruin by getting together? Managing a pack of teenaged boys had done wonders for his composure, so Sam's face remained soft. "Jared _does_ love Kim, just not the way she loves him." Before Emily could respond, a small feminine cry in the living room drew his attention. Sam frowned as he thought about what Emily had said. "You didn't… you called her!? Now!?"

"She deserves to see the truth, Sam!" As Emily pouted into her tea, Sam jumped to his feet. He managed to make it to the living room just as Kim collapsed at the foot of the couch.

"Sam." Jackie drew his attention. "I'm going to need your help. We'll have to rebreak the bones to set them, and I'm not strong enough." He could hear the pain in her own voice at the thought. "I'll guide you as you do it."

"Oh, Jared!" Kim bit her lip, as Jared's heavy eyes landed on her. "I'm so sorry this happened! I'm here now, though."

"Maybe I should step outside." Paul's voice didn't waver, but he spoke through clenched teeth. Before he could more, Jared's good hand rose to catch the arm draped across his chest.

"Please don't go, Paul…" He whimpered out as his pain-laced eyes found Paul's. "I need you here…" Seemingly unthinking, Jared brushed his lips over the corner of Paul's mouth before closing his eyes.

"I'll stay, baby… I won't leave you." Paul breathed, his pitying eyes moving to a shell-shocked Kim.

"I-don't…" She stuttered out before looking to Sam for an explanation. "I don't understand…"

"Get her outside. She doesn't need to be here for this…" Sam instructed the other boys. He didn't want them to be there for this either. Jared would have time to explain everything to Kim later on, but right now, he needed to make sure his pack brother was okay.

* * *

Jacob felt uneasy as he shifted his weight from one foot to another. Kim was crying on the porch steps, but no one knew what to say to ease her pain. They couldn't tell her it would be alright, because every few seconds, Jared's howling scream pierced the air. She was just lucky she didn't have wolf hearing and couldn't tell that every scream was accentuated with a sickening snap.

"Did you know that Jared and Paul…" Embry whispered to Quil as they both eyed Kim.

"No. How was I supposed to know?" Quil's brows furrowed. "I mean, did you _see_ them? And the way Paul kept calling Jared _baby_? It's like they're _together_ together."

"They are." Jacob growled, not liking that they were talking shit about their friend while he was hurt. "They've been together since before the phase."

"Why?" Kim sobbed as Emily exited the house to sit beside her. She wrapped one thin arm around the crying girl. "Why are they together? Why did Jared pretend to love me if he's gay?"

"I don't know the whole story." Jacob shrugged. "Besides, if you want answers, you should talk to Jared."

"I think the least he could do is answer a few questions." Emily frowned as she rocked Kim gently.

"I've got a few of my own." Quil snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Like, how many times has he checked us out when we phased? Both of them!"

"Just because they like guys doesn't mean they'll check out every one they see." Jacob rolled his eyes. "Let's face it Quil, they're a little out of your league."

"I could get a guy!" Quil bit back, but it just made Kim sob harder. "Shit, sorry Kim. We don't mean to make this worse for you."

"I don't care if they're gay or not, but how did they keep it so quiet?" Embry asked. Jacob wanted to tell them about the gag order, but Emily looked pissed enough, and he didn't want to get Sam in anymore trouble.

"I care that they're gay!" Quil interjected. "I mean, look at what they did to Kim!"

"I care too." Emily nodded as she rubbed Kim's arm. "The imprint is a sacred bond and Jared just tossed it away."

"I think you should all mind your fucking business." It was Paul's voice that caused them all to go quiet. He looked run down and angry, but still had enough fire in his eyes to let them know that he had had enough. "Kim is the only one that needs to know anything. Jake, thanks for sticking up for us, but it's not your job."

"You guys are my friends." Jacob shrugged and looked to Quil. "Our brothers will always be our brothers."

"Kim… Jared is resting now if you want to go see him." Paul offered. She didn't look at him as she stood with Emily's help and moved back into the house.

* * *

Jared felt like he could finally breathe. His arm still throbbed, and he was sure he had blacked out again at some point, but the worst was over. Sam had taken Jackie into the kitchen to get some coffee, and Paul had retreated to let the others know that he was okay. Jared's solitude didn't last long however, because a few moments later Kim and Emily entered. "Kim…" Jared gave her a tired smile. "When did you get here? You didn't have to come…"

"About the time you kissed Paul." Her bottom lip quivered as she lifted her chin. Jared's eyes widened as it dawned on him that his hallucination of her had been very real. "How could you do this, Jared? How could you pretend to care about me while being with another man?"

Tears gathered in her eyes as Emily glared at him. Giving Kim one last squeeze, Emily joined Jackie and Sam in the kitchen. "Kim…" Jared winced in pain as he worked to sit up straighter. "Please give me a chance to explain…" He patted the seat next to him. Kim hesitated, but slowly moved to sit. This wasn't how he wanted her to find out. He was going to practice what to say, and explain to her that he still very much cared for her. Between the pain and shock of it all, the words were a jumbled mess in Jared's brain. "Paul and I started a long time before the imprint. We started even before the first phase. We thought that we could push it down… that we could ignore the way we felt." She didn't look at him, choosing instead to glare at the coffee table. "When I imprinted on you, I thought the love I felt for you would be enough, but I loved him anyway… I love him in a way I've never loved anyone else. I _do_ love you, Kim… just not in a romantic sense. You're like family to me. I want you to be happy and healthy, and I always want you in my life… You're still my imprint, and all I want is the best for you."

"You should have told me." Her lips pressed into a fine line as her watery eyes finally turned to him. "If you had told me in the beginning, I would have been upset, but I would have understood. Instead, you lied to me over and over again. You pretend to be in love with me. You pretended that we would have a future together. I don't care that you're gay Jared, at least… not more than any girl in love does. I care that you didn't _trust_ me enough to tell me the truth. You said it yourself, I'm your imprint. We're supposed to have a special bond, and you just..."

"I should have, Kim. I should have known that you were always so sweet – that this wouldn't have made you hate me. But I lied to myself too. I pretended that what I had with Paul was a fluke – a result of teenage hormones. I didn't realize I was in love with him until it was too late. And by the time I did, your father had just left. I didn't want to cause you anymore pain."

"Well, you did." She shook her head as she stood. As Jared reached for her, Kim stepped back. "I need time, Jared. You've have had who knows how long to process this whole thing… I need to decide if I can even look at you anymore."

"Kim!" Jared called out to her as she practically ran from the house. He winced as he jarred his arm. With tears pricking his eyes, Jared let his head fall to the back of the couch. He sat like that until he felt the couch dip near him, familiar warm fingers brushing over his cheeks. "Why couldn't it be easy?" He sighed, finally opening his eyes to look at Paul. "It's easy for straight couples. Sure, Emily and Sam had a rough time, but they can walk down the street without people hating them."

"I know, Jare… I wish it wasn't like this for us… but I don't care what people say. Even if it's just me and you against the world, I'll choose your team every time." He gave the younger wolf a small smile. "Everyone will stop hating us once they get used to it."

"We don't hate you." Embry's soft voice drew their attention. They hadn't even heard the rest of the pack enter. Even Sam stood with his back to the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "You're our brothers. We're just upset that you know literally everything about us and hid this from us."

"I know I said some pretty shitty things, but it's just… weird. We thought we knew you guys, but we didn't even know you were together." Quil offered as he scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I know I'm hot. I don't want to ruin your relationship. If I had known, I would have turned down my sex appeal." He finished with a smile as Jared snorted.

"Any change is hard to get used to, but we don't think any less of you guys." Jacob smiled. "We're on your team too, Jared."

"Speak for yourself, dude. I totally play for the other team." Quil laughed until Sam slapped him across the back of his head. "What!? It was a _joke_. Geeze, I didn't know being gay made you a prude too!"

Jared knew that things would get worse before they got better. Kim might never talk to him again, and Emily didn't even seem to want to look at him without glaring, but he wasn't alone. _They_ weren't alone. Even if the rest of the world was against him, he had his family at his back. And that was sure as hell a winning team.

* * *

 **AN:** I know a lot of people love Emily and are going to be angry at how she was portrayed, but I felt like if anyone would have a problem with the 'disrespect' shown to the imprint, it would be her. Especially since she lost everything in pursuing the imprint. I thought about endgame being Sam/Leah, but I might have Emily go through some personal growth. I haven't decided yet.

Special thanks to LuvinTwilight143 and YaleAceBella12 for reviewing! Reviews really mean a lot to me guys, because it lets me know that you are enjoying this AU I've created :D


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

 _Moving Forward_

* * *

Thanks to alpha-ordered bedrest and a supernatural ability to heal, by the following week, Jared was almost back in fighting form. He was up and about, but Sam wanted to give him a few more days to recover before shifting to be sure. Jared didn't mind because he got out of patrols, and Paul didn't mind because it meant that on days he had the night patrol, he got to wake up to Jared lying in bed next to him. Kim hadn't contacted Jared since that day, but Paul had seen her having tea with Emily over at Sam's a few times. He didn't tell Jared, it would only hurt him. Jared was trying to do the respectful thing and give her space, but Paul could tell that it bothered him. Which was why Paul decided he would step up and cheer Jared up the best way he knew how… with sex.

"Paul…" Jared's tone was weary as Paul tied his hands to the headboard. "I'm pretty sure this goes against Sam's 'no straining your arm' rule." He pouted as Paul chuckled and kissed him briefly before sitting back on his legs. There was something beautiful about Jared laid out naked in his bed, hands tied out of reach and cock hard. Paul would have taken a picture if not for the fact that he had broken his phone… again.

"Relax, Jare." Paul cooed as he ran his hand up and down his dick at a slow pace. Jared had confided in Paul a long time ago that he had never gotten a blowjob. And while Paul had certainly never given one, he knew what he liked. "You've liked everything we've done so far. Trust me."

"I do trust you, Paul." Jared's words were spoken so softly, they gave Paul pause.

Leaning forward, Paul caught his lips softly. "I love you, Jared. I know I don't say it a lot because you know how shit my life has been when it comes to love, but you're the exception. You're the one person I've always loved."

Jared smiled lightly, his eyes softening. "Don't go soft on me now, Lahote." He teased before pulling at his bonds to lean forward and kiss Paul again. "I love you too…"

Paul hummed at the taste of him as his lips moved down to Jared's neck. He kissed every inch of skin he could reach, pausing every once in a while to nip or lick. He enjoyed the sounds of Jared's small gasps and increased heartrate, especially when his tongue circled the sensitive flesh of his thigh. If Paul was being honest with himself, he was nervous. Sure, in theory he knew what he liked, but receiving and giving were two very different things. Before he could chicken out, Paul let his tongue circle the swollen head of Jared's cock, earning a hiss from the younger wolf. With strong hands, Paul held Jared's hips down, glancing up at him through long lashes before doing it again.

"Shit!" Jared breathed, attempting to buck upwards, but not getting far. Paul chuckled, eyes glistening as his hot breath only added to Jared's squirming. "Would you stop teasing me dude and just suck my dick already!?"

Paul growled low in his chest. Jared didn't talk dirty, it wasn't his thing. Most of the time, he felt too self-conscious to even attempt it. Paul on the other hand, loved talking in the bedroom. Narrating what was happening and what he wanted to do to his partner's body just accentuated the thrill of it all. Catching Jared's eyes, Paul said nothing as he dipped his head, taking him as far back in his mouth as he could. Suddenly, Paul had a new respect for all the women he had slept with. Sucking on something seemed like a simple enough concept, but on this end, it was a little more… _more_. As Jared moaned, Paul freed one of his hips to wrap around the base of his cock, growling low at the pleasure of it. They might not be imprints, but their wolves seemed to have formed a kindred bond. Paul's wolf was content enough with Jared's, and it seemed Jared's returned the feeling. If it didn't, he would have never been able to walk away from Kim.

"Shit! Paul!" Jared hissed as he pulled at his ties, unbothered by the loud groan the headboard gave. "Do- do that a-gain. Growl." He nearly begging, his head falling back to the pillow.

Paul complied, half out of want to please the man he loved, and half out of sheer lust that his words invoked. He tried to focus on the task at hand, making sure his teeth were safely tucked away behind his full lips as he hollowed his cheeks. He had never tasted a man before – it had never occurred to him, but it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Salty and something distinctly Jared. Finally releasing Jared's other hip, Paul reached down to free himself from his cut-offs, his hand moving with practiced ease over his own dick. His eyes closed as he focused on the sensations of Jared moving in and out of his mouth and the feel of his own hand. The sounds of Jared's fluttering heart and uneven breathing were probably his favorite sounds in the world. He wished he had them recorded. Hell, he should have recorded this whole thing!

Jared growled under him as a loud snap filled the room. Suddenly, Jared's large hands were in Paul's hair, yanking at the roots with inhuman strength. It should have hurt, but it just pushed Paul faster. As far as he was concerned, Jared was his mate, and right now, he was pleasuring his mate the way only he could. "Paul – I'm gonna…" Paul's hands moved faster as he pushed Jared as far as he could go. He wasn't sure when he had decided that he wouldn't pull back, but the idea of doing so seemed torturous.

With a low, rumbling moan that might have been a growl, Jared's body tensed. It was only a moment later that Paul tasted him on his tongue, queueing his own release. By now, Paul should have learned to put a towel down, but he could care less as Jared's breathing shallowed and his own body started to relax. He growled as Jared yanked him by his sore scalp upward to meet his lips in a searing kiss.

"Are you sure you've never sucked a dick before?" He smiled as Paul rolled to the side, his head cradled against Jared's shoulder.

"I think I would remember that." Paul replied, equally breathless. He shifted, reaching behind him for whatever was stabbing him in the back. Looking at the giant splinter, Paul frowned as his eyes moved upwards. "Dude, you broke my headboard!"

"Hey, it was your idea to tie a werewolf to a flimsy piece of wood. This is on you." Jared laughed, flicking yet another splinter to the floor.

"Whatever man, you're going to make it up to me." He smirked, turning his head so that their noses brushed.

A loud hoot from Paul's backyard caused both men to groan. Jacob had been withdrawn since the Cullen's left and Sam ordered him to stay away from Bella. Sam was worried that Jacob was getting too involved, involved to the point where he would tell her their secret just to keep her around. On Sam's orders, the whole pack was going to go over there and drag him out of his house. The boys moved quickly to clean themselves up, throwing on a pair of cutoffs each before heading outside to meet the rest of the guys.

"Do you guys have to show up to patrol smelling like sex?" Quil wrinkled his nose. "It was bad enough when it was just Paul." He barked out a laugh as he dodged a punch from said wolf.

"Quil's just upset because he can't have sex for another fifteen years – at least." It was Embry's turn to laugh as Quil's smile slid off his face.

"That's not cool, man. You know that's a sore spot for me." He huffed as they pushed into the woods. Jacob didn't live far, and it wasn't like they would get tired. Besides, ever since the phase, they all felt more at home in the woods.

Paul fell back as the others pushed ahead, making bets on how long it's been since Jacob had even showered. Falling into step with Sam, Paul eyed him. "How are things going at home?" Sam didn't like to drag his personal life into the pack, but they all heard it. Emily had been less than thrilled about Paul and Jared. She didn't ban them from the house or anything, but she didn't seem to want to directly acknowledge them either. To make matters worse, she was taking out her frustrations on Sam because she knew he wouldn't fight back. Any time he even thought about it, he would take one look at her scarred face and deflate.

"Em is going to visit her sister for a few weeks. She's leaving Friday." His face gave away no emotion as he looked on ahead.

"How will that work? With the imprint, I mean? You felt pain the last time you were away from each other…" Paul didn't mean to pile on, but it was a question that needed to be asked.

"That was just after I phased. I've been away from her for whole days since, and I've been okay. If it gets to be too much I'll just take a run up to Alaska." Paul could tell there was more that Sam wasn't saying, but he wouldn't push him now. Sam, Jared, and Paul were older than the other guys, and they tended to talk real issues when they weren't around. It wasn't that they didn't trust them to be mature in the situation, it was just that they were already forced to grow up thanks to the shift.

As they cleared the tree line, Jared let out a hoot, followed shortly by Quil and Embry. It was a system they had worked out after Embry almost walked in on Paul and Jared much like Jacob had. It was a warning of sorts – put your pants on, we're coming in.

Instead of Jacob stepping out of the Black house, it was Bella Swan. Beside Paul, Sam tensed. He was strict about Bella, if only because she could feed information back to the Cullen's if they ever decided to come back. Sure, they had a treaty, but it was fragile at best. "What the fuck is she doing here?" Paul mumbled as Bella made a beeline to them.

"What did you do!?" She huffed, pushing at Sam's chest. "He didn't want this!"

"What did _we_ do?" Paul growled. He was shaking as Bella's sharp eyes turned to him. Even Jared's hand on his arm didn't sooth him. "What did _he_ do? What did he tell you?"

"Easy!" Sam tried to intervene, but it was clear that Paul and Bella were both already worked up.

"Nothing! He tells me nothing because he's scared of you!" Bella's words made Paul pause, his anger momentarily forgotten.

He couldn't help it when his lips set in a wide smile, his deep chuckle causing the others to laugh as well. Jacob? Scared of _them_? Baby alpha was always going on about how he would 'own their asses' one day. In fact, the only time had seen Jacob look remotely scared was that day he walked in on them. He even took his first phase in style, calming down faster than any of the other wolves had. Paul's laughter came to an abrupt halt as Bella's tiny hand collided with his cheek. Although it didn't hurt, and he hardly felt it, Paul turned his fact out of habit. A deep growl built in his chest as he slowly looked back to her.

"Paul!" Sam's tone was warning as Bella began to step backwards, her face no longer contorted in anger, but in fear. "Calm down!"

"Too late now…" Jared's voice sounded nearly excited as Paul's body began to blur. Jared knew that Paul was an angry wolf, but he was also in control once he phased. Paul imagined his excitement had something to do with Bella being taught a lesson for slapping people.

With another, more vocal growl, Paul burst out of his skin, erupting in a mass of silver fur. He lowered his head, his lips pulling back over his sharp teeth as he took a step towards her. He wasn't going to hurt her, but maybe the leech-lover would be afraid enough to stay away when she was told to. With a small scream, Bella turned to run back towards the Black house as Jacob came to see what all the commotion was about.

"Jake! Run!" She called, tripping over her own feet as Jacob launched himself over her, phasing in midair.

 _"You could have hurt her!"_ Jacob's voice growled in Paul's mind as he lunged at Paul.

 _"Don't be such a baby, Black! I wasn't going to hurt her. I was just teaching her a lesson!"_ Paul let out a yelp as Jacob's teeth dug into his side. _"Maybe now she'll listen when you tell her to stay away!"_

 _"That wasn't a lesson that was on you to teach, Paul!"_ They rolled in a mass of fur and teeth, breaking Billy's boat in two as they tumbled into the forest. _"And it wasn't up to me! Sam ordered me to not go to her!"_

 _"Don't take your blue balls out on me baby alpha!"_ That was all that needed to be said to really set Jacob off. For fifteen minutes, they clawed and bit, knocking several small trees over before Sam finally showed up with two pairs of cut-offs and an annoyed expression.

"That's enough you two." He said in his 'alpha' voice as the two wolves panted.

After a moment longer, Jacob phased back, quickly followed by Paul. "That was a stupid move, Paul." He frowned, slipping on a pair of pants.

Shrugging, Paul took the other. "I might have overreacted." He gave Jacob a crooked grin as the younger wolf rolled his eyes. "We cool, man?"

"Sure sure." Jacob waved him off as they headed back to Sam's. It was a five minute walk, and Sam used four and a half to lecture Jacob about finding loopholes in his orders.

They practically crashed through the door, Paul shoving Jacob with a laugh as he made a beeline for the table. Sitting in one of the open seats, Paul's hand caught Jared's arm, pulling him into his lap. "Save me a muffin, babe?"

"It wasn't easy." Jared smiled before brushing his lips against Paul's.

Looking to Bella, Paul shrugged. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She watched him with wide eyes, and Paul felt his smile slowly slip. Sometimes it was easy to forget that he and Jared weren't _normal_. "What?" He barked with a scowl, nearly smirking when her pale face flushed a deep red.

"Sorry." She breathed, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "I just didn't expect you to be… nice."

For a long moment, Paul watched her, his brows furrowed. It was only when Jared lightly pinched his back that he looked to Jacob. "She's alright."

"That's probably the nicest thing Paul has ever said about anyone." Quil laughed, reaching across the table to steal Paul's muffin.

* * *

 **AN:** Did someone say half a chapter of sexy? Sorry this chapter took a little longer than usual to come out. Hubby had the day off, so I spent it with him. I'm also sorry for any typos. By the time I was done, I was way too tired to proof read. I'm glad that a lot of people seem to be on board with my portrayal of Emily. I don't have anything against her in the books, but SM did Leah dirty. I'm still not over the fact that she left Leah un-imprinted and infertile. I always hoped that she and Jacob would be like 'fuck imprinting' and fall in love and be happy. I've decided that I have to right SM's wrongs in this fic lol, so be prepared for a little side Sam/Leah plot. I kind of improved what Bella said to the pack, because tbh, I don't remember it all – my bad.

As always, a special thank you to everyone that reviewed! **Braddox, TaleAceBella12, Maxsmomma, LuvinTwilight143** \- you guys rock!

 **Braddox** – Yeah, like I said above, I hate what SM did to Leah. I like the idea of imprinting as a plot device, because it's fun, but I hate that it's not optional – like a mark or something.

 **Maxsmomma** – Yeah, it was so rough to have Emily be the first person so openly opposed. Not because I love her character, but because I hated writing it lol. I haven't decided how far I'm going to take her hatred, but I feel like she's going to get worse.

 **LuvinTwilight143** – I have nothing against Emily, she's kind of just there, but I hate her with Sam. He gave up so much and he deserved to be with Leah. They both deserved to be happy together. I don't understand the whole imprint thing since it _is_ supposed to be about passing on the gene. Emily and Leah are cousins, so their genetics would be pretty similar. Not to mention, Emily was from a completely different tribe.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

 _Home Sweet Home_

* * *

With Bella in on the pack secret, she was around a lot more. It didn't bother the pack, if only because it made Jacob more bearable, and Bella took up the grail of cooking for the pack once Emily left to visit her sister. That was only a few days ago, but they expected Sam to be unrelentingly grumpy. He seemed neutral, and his mind had always been hard to read, so only _he_ really knew how he was taking it. For the first few days Bella had been with the pack, she was withdrawn but that had slowly started to change. It seemed like being around them helped, especially now that they learned the red-headed leech that has been sniffing around was after her. Sam was keeping watch on Seth Clearwater now that he had shot up a foot in nearly a week. He was the youngest yet; only fourteen. It drove them crazy to think that poor Seth would be dragged into the mess that their lives had become. But for now, the leech had retreated off of their land, and everyone was enjoying the peace while they could.

"We should go to Seattle this weekend." Jared announced as they made their way back to Paul's house after patrols. "Since we have Saturday off and everything. It'd be nice to spend some time away from the rez."

Paul smirked as he slipped his hand into Jared's. They didn't hold hands much, painfully aware of the looks they would get in town, but it was nice to be able to connect to him, even on a small level. "That could be fun. We could go on a real date." His smile widened as Jared's did.

They had 'dates' before, but they were always at Paul's house. It wasn't that they were ashamed of their relationship – they had moved past that a long time ago, it was that it was still hard to have people stare. It wasn't something Paul thought he'd ever get used to. It didn't matter that they were literally risking their lives for the tribe, people still whispered about them. The rumors had started right after Jared's accident, in no small part due to Emily, Paul was sure. No one said anything to their faces, they knew better than that, but they would hide their mouths behind their hands and talk about what a 'waste' it was. They would wonder who was the 'pitcher'. A few of the girls even giggled and joked about joining in. The worst of them spoke in hushed prayers for their souls to a God that wasn't even their own. All and all, the guys tried not to draw attention to themselves. Seattle would be more forgiving. It was more accepted there. They would just be another couple in the sea of the city.

"As long as we stay away from that new slasher movie." Jared grimaced. Quil had been trying to get everyone to go see it for a week, and Jared kept making excuses. Jared's feet halted in Paul's backyard a moment before Paul too picked up the sounds. Someone was moving inside the house. It sounded like it was coming from the living room, but he couldn't be sure. "Dude… someone's in your house."

Paul growled as he took a step, only to be yanked back to Jared's side. "I have to go stop whatever dumbass thought it would be a good idea to rob a werewolf." Paul bit out, but Jared simply rolled his eyes.

"Being a werewolf isn't going to do you much good if he's got a gun. You can't heal from a gunshot to the face, Paul. Call Bella and have the chief come down." He pleaded, frowning when a familiar voice cursing joined the rummaging.

Pausing, the boys looked to each other. "Holly." They said in unison. It had been months since Paul had seen his mother, which wasn't unusual. The thing that struck him as odd was that she was back so _soon_.

With a frown pulling at his lips, Paul made his way in through the backdoor, Jared quick on his heels. "You're back from your yacht trip early." He sneered to his mother as he entered the kitchen only to find her attempting to cook a box of macaroni and cheese. "Did the guy come to his senses and push you overboard?"

Slamming the box down on the table, Holly turned to her son with a scowl, her hands going to her hips. It reminded Paul of when he was young and his father was drunk. Anything would set the asshole off, but Holly would give him that same look and tell him he was being too loud or too annoying. Once, while he was simply doing homework. "The only reason I'm back in this shithole and not out sailing with my new boyfriend is because I got a call from Emily Young."

A rumbling growl built in Paul's chest as he stood straighter. Emily had _no_ right to out him – and he had no doubt that she did just that if Holly's sour expression moving between them was any implication. "Oh yeah? She want your macaroni and cheese recipe?" He quipped with a sneer.

"You have no right to talk to me like that!" Her voice became shrill. "I am your _mother_ and you didn't even bother to tell me you were a _fag_? I should have known with how close you two were growing up. With your sick sleepovers and need to always hang out together. I used to think you were exactly like your father, but even he had enough sense to not be queer!"

A growl ripped from Paul's chest, but luckily Jared was there to hold him back. "You have _no_ right to know a fucking thing about me! You're not my mother, just an occasional roommate! You want to know about me so badly? How about showing your fucking face once in a while!" He bit out, his voice wavering with the shaking force of his body. "You wanna hear it? Fine, I'm _gay!_ " He shouted the word so loud it seemed to bounce of the walls around them. "I'm a big, fat faggot. I like being buried balls deep in Jared's ass, and I like sucking his cock. I can't get enough of it!" His lips curled upwards as her light russet skin began to change color. "Is that want you wanted to hear, _mother_? You want to hear about how I'm in love with another guy? How I will _always_ love him? How I can't picture _ever_ being with anyone else? Shit, maybe we'll even get married. I'll make sure you have a seat right up front!"

"You're sick." She hissed, backing up as Jared struggled to pull Paul backwards.

"Paul…" Jared grunted with the effort to keep his grip locked. "She's not worth it, Paul. Don't let her do this to you."

"I'm his mother, you sick little fairy! If anyone isn't worth anything, it's _you_! You corrupted him!" As Holly's anger turned to Jared, Paul lost all control. Jared just managed to push him out the back door as he phased, taking part of the door frame with him. "I want you gone permanently, Paul!" She yelled from the safety of the doorway as the large wolf turned with a terrifying growl. "It's my house and I don't want any faggots in it! Don't you come back here!"

Sam had been phased when Paul lost control, and even through the anger and fear in his mind, Paul could make out Sam trying to sooth him. _"It's okay, Paul…"_ His voice was as calm as ever. _"As protectors, there are houses that can be granted to us, that's how I got mine. You can stay at my place until we figure this all out."_ Behind his words, Paul could see the anger felt at Emily for starting this whole thing. For the first time since the day he imprinted, his thoughts towards Emily were negative.

Jared phased as Holly attempted to slam the door on the broken frame. Rubbing his head along Paul's, he licked his muzzle. "It's okay, Paul. It will be okay. She's trash – she's always been trash. It'll be good for you to get away from her permanently."

With a small whimper, Paul turned his eyes to Jared before sighing. Returning the nuzzle, Paul turned and made his way towards Sam's place. Holly would be gone in a few days. He could come back for his stuff then.

Sam allowed Paul and Jared to sleep in his spare room that night, not forcing either one to talk. There was nothing that could really be said. Even when Jared and Paul decided to turn in, they just laid in the bed that felt too small and held each other. Paul wasn't surprised that his mother had acted that way, he should have expected it… what he didn't expect was how much it had _hurt_. There was a small part of him – one he didn't even know had existed until tonight – that still longed for his mother's love and approval. Jackie Call was a wonderful woman that had practically been a surrogate to him, but it just wasn't the same.

Luckily for Paul, he awoke to laughter and the smell of bacon the next morning, which lifted his mood a bit. The bed was empty beside him, which meant Jared had slipped out for patrol while he was sleeping. Dragging his feet to the bathroom to get cleaned up, Paul frowned at his reflection. He looked more run down than normal. It was almost laughable that he could go days chasing a fucking _vampire_ , but one night with his mother had him drained.

By the time he reached the kitchen, the rest of the pack was filing in. Jared moved to him wordlessly, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips. "So now that everyone is here…" Bella bit her lip as she turned from the stove with a spatula in her hand. "I wanted to talk to you guys about something before breakfast."

"Why do women always want to talk _before_ the food?" Quil groaned, earning a punch in the shoulder from Jacob.

"My dad got a call at the house last night. It was from… Holly Lahote." Her eyes moved away from Paul as he tensed. "She called him to say that there were… giant wolves around her house. She asked that he put an officer in the area until she was sure they were gone."

"That bitch." Jared hissed as he and Sam shared an angry look. "She could expose the pack!"

"I tried telling my father that she had a reputation for being a little crazy," her eyes darted to Paul again "sorry…"

"Don't be, she's batshit." Paul barked out as he took a seat at the table before pulling Jared onto his shaking lap. He was always clearer when Jared was nearby. He realized that Bella probably didn't know what had happened. They guys all knew because of the pack mind, but they didn't talk about it either. "Emily decided to out me to my mother, and she took it irrationally bad. Classic Holly Lahote."

Bella gave him a small, supportive smile. "He said that he would investigate it because it was his job, and if he finds anything, he'll call in animal control. I called Jake last night and he and Billy have been getting rid of your guys' tracks."

"This is too far." Sam shook his head. "I need to talk to the council. _Most_ of them anyway." He sighed before laying a hand on Paul's shoulder. "Don't worry, Paul. We're going to fix this Holly thing once and for all."

Paul knew that he should be upset, but with everything that had happened, he was just… numb. He ate his breakfast without tasting it, Jared no longer in his lap, but pressed to his side. It didn't matter – he told himself mentally. He had the pack, he had Jared. The rest of the world could fuck off for all he cared.

"So I…" Jared cut through the chatter, looking nervous. "I heard from Kim this morning."

"That's great, babe." Paul gave him a tired smile. It _was_ good news. Even though Jared didn't show it, it had been bothering him that she wasn't talking to him.

Jared seemed to perk up when he realized Paul wasn't upset. "It is! She said that she was sorry for walking out, and she accepted my apology for lying to her. She said that we can still be friends – that she always wanted a gay best friend." He rolled his eyes. "She said all this _after_ making a joke about a three-way." His sharp eyes cut to Quil. "Apparently that was your idea? Said that it would a good way to get back at me?"

Quil barked out a laugh along with the others. Even Bella ducked her head into Jake's shoulder. It was only then that Paul realized how close they were sitting. "When did this happen?" He asked with a raised brow at the pair.

"It hasn't." Jacob quickly defended. "We're not like… official." He winced at his own inability to make light of it.

"Not yet." Bella offered, smiling reassuringly towards Jacob. "I'm still a little raw and with Victoria… I'm getting there though. All of you have helped a lot."

"Bella, as long as you keep cooking, you're welcome any time." Embry smiled as Jacob frowned.

"She's not your personal chef. Learn to make a fucking sandwich yourself." Jacob barked, tossing his last piece of bacon towards Embry, who caught it between his teeth, much like an actual dog.

"Oh, by the way," Jared's voice cut through the laughter as he turned towards Embry. "Kim wanted me to give you her number." Embry's raised brows were enough to make even Paul laugh. Yeah – he thought as Jared leaned into his side more – fuck the rest of the world.

* * *

 **AN:** Okay, let's all say it together: Fuck Holly. She's terrible. I've got plans for her, though. She'll get hers. I don't know how everyone feels about Jacob/Bella, but the kid got screwed in the books so I threw him a bone (pun intended). Emily really irks the hell out of me in the fic lol. She'll get hers too. I really wanted Kim to be kind of like a sister to Jared. She was always portrayed as sweet and shy. Besides, let's be honest, he did her dirty. Even if he had his reasons, she deserved honesty.

As always, a super big hug and thank you to everyone that reviewed! **Braddox, YaleAceBella12, Maxsmomma,** and **LuvinTwilight143.** You guys are my superstars. I feel like we're in this together now lol.

 **Braddox:** Yeah, I always wondered why Paul laughed when she said Jacob was afraid, and the only logical reason I could come up with was that it was just so ridiculous. I totally ship Bella/Paul too. The Bella/Paul stories are some of my favorites. It would have been interesting for Paul to imprint on her, I almost wish I would have thought of that. I don't think he'll imprint in this fic though. (Rachel Black who?) I'm going to have the council sit down with the pack soon and go over the new stuff they learned about imprints! It should be fun!

 **Maxsmomma:** Yeah, fuck Emily right now. In a lot of ways, the shit she's pulling is way worse than what Holly said to Paul. Bitch thinks she's untouchable because of the imprint. I'm gonna have to learn her a thing!

 **LuvinTwilight143:** I'm thinking of doing a chapter from Sam's POV once Leah phases and having a little side plot there. I don't want to take away from the story too much, but they deserve a happy ending!


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

 _Home and Heart_

* * *

It had been a week since Paul's mother had kicked him out. Luckily, she wasn't there when Charlie drove down to the rez to talk to her, so he let the whole thing go. Paul figured she would skip town again, he just thought she would stick around long enough to make his life worse – it _was_ what she was best at. Jared spent most nights with Paul, and Sam didn't seem to mind. It was hard to tell though, because he wouldn't stop moving long enough to talk about it. He was busy trying to get in contact with Emily who had been dodging his calls, and dealing with council matters. Luckily for Paul, the elders found a house for him, it would just take a few more days to finalize the paperwork. He was on his way to the council now, wondering why they all had to be there just for a few documents. He figured they would each want to warn him about not trashing the place – like he hadn't practically lived on his own most of his life. Once it was all official, he was going to ask Jared to move in with him. It shouldn't have been a big deal since they spent most nights together anyway, but part of Paul was worried he would say no. He worried that Jared would wake up one day and see him for the angry screw-up he was… that he would leave everything they had. It wasn't rational, and Paul knew that it wasn't like Jared, but everyone else in his life had just walked away. Jared would just be the third strike.

"Paul." Sam greeted with a tired smile as Paul walked into the Clearwater house. It seemed dangerous to talk about pack stuff where Seth could overhear since he hadn't phased yet, but it wasn't his place to tell them what to do.

"Hey man." Paul greeted as he took a seat at the table. "Why are we making such a big deal about this? It's tribal land. Isn't it just your say who gets the house?" He asked the elders.

"We wanted to talk to you about something else while you were here, Paul." Billy offered with a small smile. "As you know, we're all aware of what your mother did to you – how she almost exposed the pack to outsiders."

"Stupid woman." Old Quil gruffed from behind his pipe. "I told you she had no business being on the council. She's a Lahote by marriage. Her blood has no ties to our history."

"It was out of respect for her husband's passing." Harry sighed tiredly. It seemed this was a topic they had discussed before.

"We didn't bring Paul here to bad mouth his mother." Jackie intervened, her sharp gaze silently scolding the men. "Paul, sweetie, we brought you here because we want you to take her place."

Paul blinked as all eyes turned to him. Take her place? On the council? The thought was nearly laughable. Besides Sam, the council had always been… well, old. They were the heads of the prominent families on the rez – the ones that carried the gene. Although not many of the people in La Push knew the legends were true, they respected the council as the law around the reservation. Nothing was done on tribal land without their permission. "Me?" Paul raised an eyebrow. "On the council?"

"Close your mouth, boy. It's your birthright." Old Quil's hard eyes landed on Paul. "You were young when your father passed, and he was shit enough before your mother took over. You're a man now – going on twenty-two, aren't you?"

"Yes." Paul confirmed, frowning when Old Quil's eyes narrowed. "Yes, sir."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Paul." Sam offered, still standing behind him like the ever-watchful alpha he was. "It's your choice."

"Like hell it is." Harry was the one to speak up this time. "A Lahote has sat on this council since it was formed in the days of our ancestors. Paul is the last Lahote in his bloodline – maybe ever." He pointed out. Paul had never really thought about his future, but if his future _was_ with Jared, there was a possibility that they wouldn't have children. Children weren't something Paul particularly wanted, but he hated the idea of the option being taken away from him.

"It would be good for everyone." Billy smiled, trying to ease the tension from the other males in the room. "You could make a real difference around the reservation, and with the pack. And we're not expecting you to do it for free. It's seen as a job with the tribe, so you'll get enough money to live on, and the house."

"You'll get the house either way." Sue added before Paul could ask. "Don't think of this as responsibility, Paul. It's an honor to be part of the council. And the fact that we're asking you to be just goes to show how much we think of you."

Paul sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. Being part of the council would mean more responsibility than he had ever had before. It would mean going to meetings, and actually knowing about what was going on around the rez. It would also mean moving forward. He had done odd jobs around the rez growing up, but most people moved away for real jobs. His family didn't own one of the stores in town like Quil's or Embry's… it might be the best option he had. Not to mention, an income meant he could afford things like electricity and water. Until his mother threw him out, they had been paying the bills with his father's life insurance money, and that was running low.

"Okay…" Paul breathed with a nod. "I'll do it."

They seemed genuinely happy at his agreement, giving him not only the house forms, but some paperwork for the council as well. Until then, Paul's signature hadn't meant much, but it seemed heavier now… more mature. Just as he was finishing up with the last of the paperwork, loud screams from the Clearwater's back yard had him and Sam looking up. As they grew louder, the humans in the room seemed to pick it up as well.

"Seth!" Sam realized with wide eyes, practically leaping over the table to get outside. Paul was on his heels, the rest of the council working to let them through.

Seth had been close to phasing, but since the redhead hadn't left a fresh trail in a week, they eased up their watch on him. Outside stood a trembling Seth and a sour-faced Leah. It was hard to tell what they were arguing about, but it seemed that Leah ate some food that Seth had been saving. To most, it would seem like a petty argument, but it was just those kinds of things that triggered the phase.

"Seth!" Harry called from the small group that stood safely behind the two wolves. "Get away from your sister!"

"She started it!" Seth yelled, his young face contorted with misplaced anger. "She _knew_ I was saving that chicken!"

"It's just chicken, Seth!" Leah bit back before her eyes landed on Sam. "What the fuck is _he_ doing here!?" It was then that Paul realized not only Seth, but Leah was shaking too.

"It can't be…" Sam breathed, fearful eyes on the woman he had once loved.

"That's impossible…" Harry gripped the railing of the porch as their shaking grew worse. "She can't… women can't…" Before he could form a complete thought both Seth and Leah exploded out of their skin, shaking out their new fur as they yelped in fear. Sam moved to calm the new wolves, but everyone else moved to Harry as he collapsed, hand on his chest.

* * *

This had to be the worst week of Sam's life. His imprint left him and refused to take his calls after he yelled at her for betraying Paul and Jared's trust. A council member had nearly exposed the pack to someone off of the reservation. His ex-girlfriend had phased against all reason, and could now hear his every thought… and Harry Clearwater was dead. The last one seemed to make the other things seem trivial. The reservation as a whole mourned at his funeral, not one pair of eyes dry. Harry had been like a father to Sam. He would have been his father-in-law if not for the imprint. That man had taught Sam everything there was to know about _being_ a man… and now he was gone. What was worse was that when Leah learned it was the shock from her phase that had caused the heart attack, she shut down. Her guilt was nearly unbearable for anyone phased with her, but could they blame her? Sure, logically they all knew that Harry's heart was bad, but seeing it through Leah's eyes… it made them all feel guilty. Especially Sam. He was so busy watching Seth and _avoiding_ watching Leah, that he missed all the signs. He missed the fact that she was taller. He blamed her anger on the way he had treated her… He was the reason Harry was so surprised.

"Hey, Sam…" Paul's voice was low as he entered the kitchen. He had gotten his own place weeks ago when Leah and Seth had phased, but he stayed at Sam's to keep him company. During the day, it was fine. The whole pack would be over, joking and laughing. Occasionally they would tell stories about Harry. Bella was over a lot, drowning them all in casseroles and condolences. She did what she could, but Charlie was pretty shaken up too. At night… it was bad. Sam tried to run as many patrols as he could, but it was hard with Leah nearly always phased. His house was empty at night, and an empty house gave him time to think.

"Jared coming over after his patrol?" Sam asked as Paul grabbed two beers from the fridge, handing one to Sam before sitting across from him at the empty table.

"Yeah, if that's cool with you." Sam shrugged. It didn't bother him when his pack brothers were over. They were family.

"Can I ask you a question, Paul?" Sam asked, his eyes staring a hole into the table as his fingers traces the peeling label of the beer bottle. "How did you… how did you know that it was worth trying with Jared? With the imprint and everything… weren't you afraid?" His eyes finally moved to Paul's face. Sam had been thinking a lot about Leah before she phased. He had been thinking about how easy things had been with her. How yes, they fought, but they would make up an hour later. With Emily there was never ever any fighting… but was that a good thing? Was it good to _avoid_ fights?

"I was terrified, man." Paul laughed without humor. "After Jared found Kim… it was easier to try and tell myself that I didn't love him, you know? Because if I admitted it and he chose her, it would hurt more – at least that's what I thought. But being apart from him… that hurt worse than anything I've ever felt." His eyes seemed to glaze over as he thought back to that time. Had it really been over a year already? And nearly three since Paul phased. They hadn't aged since then, and time just seemed to keep moving forward. Four years… it had been four years since Sam left Leah for Emily, and he still thought about her when the house was dark and his mind was unguarded. He still saw her smiling face… how happy they were.

"But… how did you know you loved him? How did you know it was the real deal?" He asked, taking a swig of beer as his mouth went dry. Had he made a mistake? Had he been too emotional from the phase to think clearly? Had he let the stories and council impact his choice? Had he thrown away the best thing that had ever happened to him…

"It's hard to describe." Paul seemed to think about it for a minute. "It was more than just sex, you know? I missed _him_." Paul began, unaware that Jared had entered behind him, seemingly in a trance as he listened to Paul talk. "I missed waking up next to him and calling him when something good happened, because Jare is the first person I always want to call when something happens. I missed the way the corner of his eyes would crinkle when he laughed, or how just the tips of his ears would get red when he was angry. I missed having my best friend. I think once he imprinted on Kim, I realized it was more than that. I wanted Jared to be happy – more than I wanted him to be with me. And that's how you know, right? When you want the best for the other person even if it makes you miserable." Leah's face flashed through Sam's mind. He had avoided her after the shift because he was afraid of hurting her. He didn't avoid Emily though, and she wore the scars to prove it. Behind Paul, Jared leaned against the doorframe, his eyes looking glassier than normal. "But I'm happy he chose me. I'm a screw-up, and I get angry without any good reason, and I can't cook for shit… but I… I _need_ him. It's not even a want like it was in the beginning. It's like without Jared... there is no me. I can't even imagine a world where I don't wake up next to him every morning. The thought of ever being with anyone else... It's just impossible."

Jared inhaled slowly, though it sounded suspiciously like a sniffle. Paul turned, going a bit red himself as he scratched the back of his head. "How much of that did you hear?" He asked sheepishly. Paul wasn't a man that often voiced his feelings, so it was probably the first time Jared got to really hear the extent of them.

Jared's face remained soft as he searched Paul's eyes. Sam thought that he should leave, but that would probably just interrupt whatever moment they were having. With a deep, uneven breath, Jared blinked. "Marry me?" He breathed.

* * *

 **AN** : A bit of a cliffhanger, I know! The idea came to me yesterday – the last bit, and I couldn't resist. There was a lot of internal screaming. Spontaneous proposals are my all time favorite kind. I know a lot of people will be upset that I killed Harry off anyway (and for those of you that haven't read the book, that was _actually_ what caused his heart attack, not Victoria. It's part of the reason Leah is so bitter), but I felt it was important to the story.

As always, super special giant thank you to everyone that reviewed! **YaleAceBella12, Braddox,** and **LuvinTwilight143!**

 **Braddox:** I know, I lowkey hate Emily now – oops lol. I know it seemed a bit off for Bella, but I wanted her to be more level-headed in this AU. Since I stretched out the plot the Cullen's have actually been gone for like a year, so she's had time to slowly come to terms with everything. I should have made the timeline clearer.

 **LuvinTwilight143:** I know, I legit hate Holly. I was going to have her basically just leave and never come back, but the evil plot bunnies in my head had a better idea. We haven't seen the last of her, and let's just say, the next time Paul sees her will be even worse!


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

 _Light and Dark_

* * *

Paul hadn't known Jared was right behind him, which was embarrassing considering he could hear Sam's neighbors nearly a mile away arguing about their new babysitter. It wasn't that he was embarrassed about what he had said, just that he didn't know he was inadvertently saying all those things to Jared. At Jared's question Paul froze, eyes wide and jaw slack. Marry him? Just a few weeks ago he had been worried that Jared wouldn't want to _live_ with him. "W-what did you just say?" He breathed, brows furrowing. Maybe he had misheard. After all, Jared's face was soft, but there was no doubt or hesitation in his eyes.

"I asked you to marry me." Jared licked his lips, closing the distance between them as Paul stood. Taking his hands, Jared smiled. "I know we're young, and it doesn't have to be right away… but I feel the same way Paul. The imprint, your mother, the reservation… so many things were telling us not to be together, but I can't imagine my life without you either."

Paul felt a lump form in his throat, so he took a slow breath. He wouldn't turn into an emotional mess now. "Jared…" Paul breathed, face softening. "I want to spend my life with you, and marrying you would be… amazing, but can we? On the rez, I mean. I don't even know if the council would allow it…"

"You're part of the council." Sam spoke up, reminding Paul that he was still there. "And as the alpha of the pack, I'm the acting chief of the tribe. I can marry any two people I want under tribe law." He stood, beer in hand and smiled. "If you two want to get married, I'd be honored to officiate."

Paul breathed a short laugh as he looked back to Jared. "So?" Jared gave him a small smile. "Is that a yes?"

Licking his lips, Paul nodded before a wide smile lit up his face. "Yes. Of course it's a yes." He laughed, catching Jared as the smaller man practically threw himself into his arms. The kiss they shared was one full of promise and hope. They would be together, and no one could say a damn thing. Paul wasn't sure when it would happen, but he knew for sure that he would get to call Jared his husband.

Paul leaned against Sam's truck as he stared out over the moon-drenched beach. He was almost positive the entire reservation had come out for the bonfire, which would make things easier… and harder. The Cullen's had returned a few days ago with some news on the red-headed leech. Apparently she was building an army in Seattle and was on her way to them. Although no one was happy to see them, – surprisingly, not even Bella who had clung to Jacob's wolf when the mind-reader had tried to touch her – they were happy to have a few more people on their side. The small leech couldn't be sure, but she thought that this newborn army was at least a hundred strong. The council agreed on a large bonfire the night before to just be with friends and family, though only a select few knew that was the reason. The rest just saw it as a big party. It was easier that way. They didn't want to have to worry about people running around the reservation terrified.

"We don't have to do this, Paul." Jared's quiet voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Not tonight at least. We can just go down there and have fun."

Taking a deep breath, Paul shook his head. "No." He turned to Jared, taking his face between his hands. "I don't want to hide anymore, Jare. We have enough secrets to deal with. I don't want _us_ to be another one." They didn't say it out loud, but they might die the next day. If Paul was to die, he wanted to do so knowing that there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he loved Jared. And if Jared… he couldn't even think about it. Peppering Jared's face with kisses, Paul smiled and laced their hands together. "Now or never, Cameron. Last chance to forget about me."

"I won't ever forget you, Paul." Jared said seriously, his hand tightening around Paul's. "I don't think I could if I tried." They took a moment to gather themselves before slowly making their way towards the beach.

The pack was the first to see them, each giving their own silent support in the form of smiles. When they reached the edge of the firelight, others started to take notice. At first, it was just a few shocked looks before the chain of whispers began. Paul ignored them, his hand tight on Jared's as they pushed through the gawking crowd towards the pack. About halfway there, a few of the guys they had went to high school with stepped in front of them.

"So the rumors are true." Eric, the most annoying of the boys, scoffed. He had hated Paul ever since Paul called him out for being a douche in front of the girl he liked. "I gotta say, man when my girl told me Lahote was a fudge packer, I didn't believe it. I guess after you went through all the women on the rez, you had to look for more option-ah!" He yelped as Old Quil hobbled up and grabbed a firm hold of his ear.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners, boy?" He gruffed, glaring at the other two who immediately looked away. "If we weren't in sand, I'd brake my walking stick over that thick head'a yours." He frowned as he pushed Eric away from him. "Get out of here before I consider risking it and having Paul here carry me off the beach."

"Crazy old man." Eric mumbled, yelping again as Old Quil raised his carved walking stick. Stumbling in the sand, Eric turned to retreat, only to bump into the chests of Sam, Jacob, Embry, and Quil.

"We don't tolerate that kind of attitude on the reservation." Sam said in his chilling 'alpha' voice, arms crossed over his chest. In fact, all the boys held the same stance. To any human, Paul was sure it would look menacing. He however, was too amused at the situation to be angry, which was a first for him. He should have known that it wasn't just he and Jared in this. He had his friends. His _family._

"Anyone else got something to say?" Quil asked, cracking his knuckles. Almost simultaneously, everyone in the vicinity seemed to take a step back.

"It's okay, guys." Paul smirked, looking around at the wide circle that had formed around them. "Since everyone on the reservation seems to think our lives are their business, I'll say this once. "Jared and I are together. We love each other, and we're going to get married. If you have a problem with that, feel free to take it up with me personally." The whispers started again, but one voice rang out over the crowd.

"Jared Cameron!' Jackie screeched as she pushed through the crowd and charged up them, her movements awkward thanks to the sand. "You're engaged, and you didn't even tell your mother!?" Despite being half their size, both men flinched.

Paul looked to Jared alarmed. He assumed that Jared had at least told Jackie. Shrugging, Jared gave them both a shy smile. "It didn't come up… we've been busy." It was true. With the upcoming war about to take place in their backyard, they hadn't even fully unpacked yet.

"We _will_ talk about this." She pouted before her anger dissolved into a watery smile. "I'm so happy for the two of you, really." She nearly sobbed before reaching up to pull them both down in a hug. "I know I wasn't the most supportive in the beginning, but I love you both, and I'm so happy that you found this happiness with each other." She turned her head to kiss Jared's cheek before doing the same to Paul. "You have always been my son, Paul. Now it will just be official."

Paul closed his eyes as he squeezed her a little harder. They better make it out alive tomorrow, because he sure as hell wasn't ready to give all this up.

Paul's paws shuffled under him as they waited in the tree line behind the field. The Cullen's stood front and center, all but the mind-reader who was up in the mountains with Bella and Jacob. Jake was purposefully thinking about how he and Bella had had sex for the first time the night before just to piss the leech off, but thanks to the pack mind, they all had to see it. No one cared though, they were too focused on what was about to happen. They had trained and strategized. They had spared until they couldn't walk and they had worked on moving as a unit. They were ready for this… they had to be.

Hearing his worry, Jared rubbed his large head against Paul's. _"Relax, guys…"_ Sam's voice echoed in their minds. Even now, he was calm. Only every now and then would they see his worry for Leah. It was clear to all of them that Emily had no intentions of returning, which seemed surprisingly fine with Sam. He and Leah had been on better terms, but it was easy to see that Sam wanted what they once had. _"We know this land and we know they're coming. They have no idea that we're here. We have the upper hand."_ The large black wolf turned to look at them. _"I know you're afraid, and I won't lie and tell you that we'll all come out of this unscathed. That's best case scenario. All we can do is what we were born to. We will protect our tribe and our homes with everything we have. And we'll do it together, as a family."_ Each wolf made a small noise of agreement, standing a little taller. Sam was right. This is what they were built to do.

All eyes turned to the field as the sound of running became louder and louder. _"It's starting."_ Paul wasn't sure who's voice it was, too focused on the task at hand. Turning to lick Jared's muzzle, Paul sighed before Sam's order to move rang through his mind. It was time.

The impromptu battlefield was pure chaos as Paul tore through leech after leech. He had lost sight of Jared a while ago, but could see in his mind that he was just fine, and that Embry had his back. Ever since Embry started dating Kim, the two had been close. Turning on his heels, Paul caught a leech mid-air as it lunged for Leah. Tearing the head off, he tossed it towards one of the many fires that had been started by the Cullen's. He could see through Jacob's eyes that Victoria had caught wind of Bella's scent and was now descending on them. Trying to focus on his own fight, Paul nodded towards the big leech who had intercepted one of the newborns. Their numbers were lower now, only a few dozen left, and they seemed to realize that they were losing.

Catching the sound of running, Paul turned with a deep growl only to freeze as he was met with his mother's face. Only… not her eyes. They were blood red and full of hate. He stumbled back in shock, a small whimper coming from his throat. _"Is that Holly!?"_ Quil's question seemed to draw the attention of the rest of the pack. She wasn't moving as fast as the others, but it was clear that she was coming for him. And Paul… Paul stood frozen in place as he watched the monster that was once his mother close the distance. When she was nearly at him, she was tackled from the side by a large brown wolf. Paul blinked back into reality as Holly shrieked, crying out for him by name as Jared ripped her head off with one solid tug. Once the screaming had stopped, Jared turned to Paul, blocking his view as the rest of the pack closed in on Holly's lifeless body.

 _"Paul…"_ Jared's voice pleaded. _"I know that was hard, but you can't just stand here. It's too dangerous."_ He pleaded with a whimper as he nudged Paul's head. In the back of his mind, Jared was freaking out about killing Paul's mother.

 _"You didn't kill her, Jare…"_ Paul's voice was nearly hollow as he turned back to the fight. _"She was already dead…"_

The rest of the battle seemed to move in slow motion for Paul. Sure, he had hated his mother, but to see her turned into _that_? It was worse than death. Part of him – a small part he wouldn't admit to – was happy she was dead. It meant that she couldn't come back and find new ways to ruin his life. She had never really been there, so her being dead… well, would that have changed anything?

The pack tried to comfort him once all the leeches were dead and Bella was safe, but they didn't really know what to say. Only Sam really seemed to understand, placing a hand on Paul's shoulder without a word before leaving him alone with Jared. They didn't talk as they made their way home. They didn't talk as they showered together, Jared's calloused hands moving over Paul's body to clean him. They didn't talk as they laid in bed and Paul sobbed while Jared held him. It was only on the cusp of sleep that Paul heard Jared whisper how much he loved him. It was hard now, but Paul knew life would go on. For tonight however, he would mourn the death of the woman that had never loved him while in the arms of the man that loved him more than life itself.

* * *

AN: We're nearing the end guys! Probably just one more chapter and an epilogue left! If you have any questions, be sure to ask in the comments! I'll be doing one last big AN/Q&A after it's done! Sorry if this chapter is up a little late, my internet went down for a bit.

Super big thank you to **Maxsmomma, LuvinTwilight143, YaleAceBella12,** and **Braddox** for reviewing!

 **Braddox:** Yeah, when I did all those big time lapses I forgot to outline them, so that's on me. I won't go too in depth in their story since we're almost done with this one, but I might make a companion oneshot piece for them :D

 **LuvinTwilight143:** My heart goes out to Leah. The books made her out to be this megabitch, but she had every right to be angry. Her father died, her cousin betrayed her, and her boyfriend left her. I understood Sam to a point since the imprint doesn't leave much choice, but the books don't really say anything about the imprintee feeling the pull, so Emily just fucked her over.

 **Maxsmomma:** I hated to do that to Holly only because of what it did to Paul. I had the idea while mentioning Victoria around to have her take Holly. Since Holly came and went so much, no one would really notice.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

 _I Do_

* * *

Paul took a deep breath as he looked in the full-length mirror Bella had brought to Sam's. He wasn't nervous, how could he be? He was about to marry his best friend. They had waited a year after Jared's impromptu proposal, wanting things to be settled and calm, though Paul wasn't sure that such a time would ever exist around a pack of wolves. As crazy as the years prior to the proposal had been, everything truly seemed to fall into place in the last twelve months. Paul fell into a routine with the council, working alongside them to instate a program on the rez for the LGBTQ community. Granted, there weren't that many with such a small population, but they had been able to help a girl who had been struggling with her sexuality since middle school. She even admitted to Jared and Paul that she had tried to take her life in the tenth grade. Even helping one person was enough to make it all worth it. They also saw to it that same-sex marriages were officially acknowledged and protected under tribal law.

Jared finally managed to finish his online college courses, and had started teaching at the high school. It was rough at first, because people still talked when they thought they were out of earshot, but it gave Jared an outlet, and gave the youngest pack members, Collin, Brady, and Seth someone on the inside. Sam and Leah had unofficially gotten back together. That was to say, they were sleeping together, but she was still making him grovel. Paul could tell from her thoughts and the way she looked at Sam that she still very much loved him. It was just hard for her to open that door again.

The Cullen's had left soon after the fight, vowing to not return in their lifetime or their children's lifetime to give the next generation a chance to live a normal life without the fear of phasing. Bella was happy to see them go, and Jacob was planning on proposing next week – not wanting to step on Paul and Jared's big day. Kim, for the same reason, had not yet announced that she was expecting. It had been a shock to her, and a bigger shock to Embry who instantly began to list the reasons he would be a terrible father. Once he realized that they had the whole pack to help out, he calmed down. They were young, but they planned on taking it all in stride.

Emily did eventually return to get her things, and although Sam would always have a soft spot for her, he didn't ask her to stay. They were better off apart, and after all, the imprint _was_ about what was best for the imprintee. Despite proof that the imprint wasn't an indication of soulmates, Quil had decided to just focus on being a good big brother to Claire right now. The council had eventually found proof of same-sex couples during the time of the first pack. Apparently, they were hugely undocumented because the original council worried that it would lead to the wolf gene being completely wiped out.

But it didn't matter anymore. Not the imprints, not the council, not the legends. They were on the cusp of a new age for the rez, and Paul was happy to be part of it. "We're going to be late if you don't stop staring at yourself." Jared's voice broke Paul out of his deep thoughts. Catching the other wolf's eyes in the mirror, Paul smiled softly. They were dressed in simple suits, forgoing anything too formal. It wasn't them to dress in a tux and make a big deal out of everything. "But I can't blame you, I like staring at you too." Paul chuckled as he turned to wrap his arms around Jared's narrow waist.

"I was just thinking about everything that's happened over the last year." Paul admitted, ducking his head to brush his lips against Jared's. It was crazy how far they had come from that drunken night full of denial nearly five years ago.

"Paul, we're twenty-three. We have a whole lifetime of crazy ahead of us. Don't worry about one year." Jared smirked as he reached down to grab Paul's hand and tug him towards the door. "Now, let's go get married."

They decided to have the wedding on First Beach, well, Leah and Kim decided for them after designating themselves the wedding planners. They soon dragged Bella into it, and the boys had no choice but to agree. The women did well, though. They kept things minimal and classic, only inviting friends and family. Luck was on their side too, because they didn't even need the tents they had rented. The ever-scarce sun decided to grace them with its presence, make the water behind them sparkle and shine as warm winds blanketed the entire event. True to his word, Sam agreed to officiate, and Bella had put herself in charge of food. With the whole pack chipping in, the wedding hardly cost the boys a dime, which was good for them. They hadn't told the others yet, but in a year or so, they were going to look into surrogates. They wanted to have a child – to have a direct impact on the next generation… they wanted a family.

"Paul and Jared have decided to write their own vows…" Sam declared, but Paul hardly heard any of the ceremony. He was too busy watching the way Jared's eyes crinkled with joy as their hands stayed locked together between them. "Jared."

"I always thought I would get married, but I didn't think it would be to my best friend." Jared began with a small smile. "Paul, you were always there for me – since day one. Our mothers brought us home from the hospital only a week apart, and we've been inseparable ever since. You were there when I lost my first tooth – you were the one that knocked it out," he smiled as the guests shared a laugh. "You were there when I had my first date and gave me some terrible advice that got me a lap full of fruit punch. You were there when I stressed about finals and stupid video game achievements... You were there when I found out that my dad had left… You were there for _everything_ Paul. Every high or low point in my life, you were the one constant – my lighthouse. When I realized I was in love with you, I tried to pin point the minute it happened, but I think that it was always there, under the surface. I'm not sure of the exact minute I started loving you, but I know for a fact that I will never stop. I want you to be there for the rest of the highs and lows. I want my best friend beside me through whatever comes our way. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, Paul Lahote."

There was a sniffle from Quil's direction that Paul had a feeling didn't come from Claire. Ignoring the fact that his own eyes were tearing up, Paul gave a short, breathy laugh. "How am I supposed to follow that?" He joked lightly, causing a few laughs from the teary-eyed onlookers. "Jare, you know I'm no good with words. I always say the wrong thing, and usually in anger. But you understand me anyway. You know the things I'm thinking without me having to say it." It wasn't even just as a wolf, but Paul couldn't say so out loud since there were a few human guests in the crowd. "In the beginning, I tried to find reasons to stay away from you. I tried to tell myself over and over again that we would never work out…" He squeezed Jared's hands tighter. "But we _do_ work, Jare. We work in a way that I never thought was possible in real life. I might not always say the right things, and I might get angry sometimes, but I can't ever imagine a life in which I don't love you, and I promise to spend the rest of our lives working on finding those words."

"It is my honor as the acting chief of the tribe to declare you both officially wed under tribal law." Sam smiled as the crowd erupted in cheers and applause, but Paul hardly heard any of it over the steady pounding of Jared's heart as he pulled him into a searing kiss. Finally, Paul felt like his life could _truly_ begin.

* * *

 _Three Years Later_

"Damn it, Paul! Where did you put the keys!" Jared growled out as he shuffled through the unopened mail and flyers that sat on their counter top. "I left them right here!"

"Jared…" Paul's voice was calm as he grabbed Jared's face, stilling his frantic movements. "Breathe. She just went into labor. We have plenty of time to get to the hospital." As Jared frowned, Paul kissed him. "The keys are by the door."

They had waited nine long months for this day, and now that it was here, both men felt extremely under-prepared. When they had begun looking for their surrogate nearly a year ago, they expected a long, grueling process, since it would have to be a native woman from the tribe. They searched for all of a week before Kim approached them and offered to carry their baby – their little girl as it turned out. Since Kim already had a two-year-old of her own, she was more than happy to help Paul and Jared start their own family. Paul was worried that Embry would be apprehensive about it, but he was just as supportive as Kim was.

"I'll drive." Paul declared as Jared grabbed the bag full of baby stuff they had planned on bringing to the hospital. Jared was far too rattled to operate a vehicle. Kim had only called a few minutes ago to tell them that it was time and that she was on her way to the hospital, but Jared was terrified they would miss the birth.

Over the last few years things had mellowed out for the pack. Embry had stopped phasing when his son was born to age alongside Kim. They tied the knot a week before little Daniel Call was born. As of six months ago, Jacob had officially taken over the pack. His hand was nearly forced when soon after Sam and Leah's engagment, she found out she was pregnant. They still weren't married, but they weren't in a rush. They were happy to just be together. Jacob and Bella had gotten married a little over a year after Jared and Paul, but they were waiting to have kids until Bella got her degree. Quil, Seth, Collin, and Brady were all that was left of the original pack. They had one more phase since then when a rogue leech passed by, but other than that, it had turned into a very quiet life.

Six months ago, Jared and Paul had gone on a final run with the pack before finally shutting their wolves away forever. It was bittersweet. They had hated the phasing at first, and Paul wasn't a big fan of the others hearing his thoughts, but part of him worried he would lose that bond that had been formed within the pack. But with their baby girl entering the world, it was best for everyone. When they had first found out that they were having a girl, Paul had freaked out. He knew nothing about taking care of a little girl, and either did Jared. Luckily, the pack came through again. Leah, Bella, Kim, and even Quil spent time with them to explain how to handle different situations. He was still worried, but they would figure it out. For their little girl, they would do anything.

They spent the next six hours at the hospital, taking turns comforting and thanking Kim and updating the pack who took up most of the waiting room. Finally, six minutes past midnight, the shrill cries of Naomi Cameron-Lahote filled the room. "You're amazing…" Jared breathed a watery laugh as he kissed Kim's forehead in thanks. On her other side, Embry smoothed her hair back and told her what a good job she had did. Paul wasn't sure how they would ever repay them, but making them godparents was a start.

After measurements were taken, and she was cleaned off, the nurse put the tiny pink bundle in Paul's arms. Paul and Jared had both donated sperm, so they weren't sure which one was her biological father, and they wanted to keep it that way. They both were her fathers, and nothing would ever change that. "Hey, baby girl…" Paul whispered, unashamed as his eyes filled with tears. She was _perfect_. "I'm your daddy…"

"And I'm your fun daddy." Jared laughed over Paul's shoulder, quickly wiping away the tears that had managed to fall. "We've waited a long time to meet you."

Paul's face softened as Naomi began to cry again, her tiny fists screwing shut. "I know, it's been a long day." He smiled as he brushed a kiss across her forehead. "But it gets better from here, baby girl. We'll make sure nothing ever hurts you again."

As the pack entered slowly to greet the newest member with hushes whispers and coos, Paul rested his head against Jared's and took everything in. This was just the beginning of Naomi's story, and Paul didn't want to forget a single moment.

 ** _The End_**


	16. Final Note From The Author-Preview

**_Final Note From The Author_**

I just want to thank everyone who came on this amazing journey with me. This started as a oneshot and became so much more! I loved every minute of it. I can't believe it's actually over! As fun as this story was for me, and as happy of an ending as it was for Paul and Jared, not everyone in the LGBTQ community gets their happily ever after, because they don't have that support system. So if you or someone you know is having a hard time coping with their sexuality, reach out and tell someone. We've lost too many young lives to the notion that being gay is something to be ashamed of. If you're a reader of mine and need someone to talk to, my inbox is always open and I do my best to help in any way I can. If you need help right away, reach out to the GLBT National Hotline: 1 888 843 4564.

Thank you to every single one of you that read/reviewed/liked/followed ect. As much as I loved taking this journey, it was a lot more fun with you guys along.

For anyone interested, I am working on another story that will hopefully be going up soon. I'm more than halfway done with it, and it's a Bella/Paul story. See below the cut for more information. If it's not your thing, thanks for coming this far! Be well, guys!

* * *

 _The Burn List_

Summary: What if Bella never went comatose after Edward left, because the least likely person saved her in more ways than one? Paul makes it his mission to help Bella check off the things she wants to do on her burn list. As she gets over Edward, will she fall for a completely different supernatural creature?

 **Excerpt:**

He smiled easily, his dark lips pulling over pearly white teeth. For a moment the phrase _big bad wolf_ entered my mind. "I suggest you don't ask too many questions, Swan. You might not like the answers you get."

I didn't want to argue. I was too tired and too confused to deal with anymore supernatural stuff, so I did as he said and shut up. Slouching into the chair opposite him at the small four-person table, I huffed. _What now?_ Did we sit here in silence? Braid each other's hair and talk about how horrible men were? The thought almost made me smile, but I suppressed it. I didn't want to have to explain _that_ mental image.

"You know, when my sister used to go through breakups, she would make a burn list." Paul turned his large body to sit correctly in the chair and face me. I forced my eyes to remain on his face, and not his admittedly amazing chest. "She would write out everything the asshole used to keep her from doing and burn through the list. It usually ended up being sex and drinking, which I'm more than happy to help you with," his smile was at full force, and I tried not to blush, " but with you, I figure the leech kept you from doing normal things."

"I wouldn't say Edward ever _kept_ me from anything." I frowned and pulled my sleeves over my hands. Sure, he had stopped me from going to La Push a few times, but he was just trying to protect me… Right?

"Bella…" My name in his voice made me inhale sharply. My eyes flew to his, nearly drowning in the depth of their warmth. "When was the last time someone asked you what _you_ wanted to do?"

I frowned. Alice usually made the plans when Edward didn't. My ideas were typically shot down as being too boring or too dangerous. I never really got to call the shots. "I – I can't remember…"

"Here." He pulled one of the college pamphlets from the stack Edward had made me promise to go through. Uncapping the pen, he handed them both to me. "Those leeches might not have turned you into one of them, but they sure as hell made you act like you were already dead." He growled, but I could see him work to control his face. "Make a burn list and we'll go through the whole thing. Anything that you want to do that would make you feel _alive_ …"

I wearily took the pen and pamphlet from him. "We?"


End file.
